labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Every Connecticut employer needs to understand that in 2007 a number of changes to the labor laws were made. In 2007, for the first time in ten years, the federal minimum wage was increased from $5.15 to $5.85 per hour as a result of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. At least ten states increased their state minimum wage on the same day.

The Connecticut Labor Law Posters that every employer is required to display are:

• Workers’ Compensation Act 
• Sexual Harassment 
• Minimum Wage 
• Discrimination Notice 
• Electronic Monitoring 
• Unemployment Poster

In addition, employers are required to display the following posters by federal law:

• USERRA - Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act 
• Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law 
• Federal Minimum Wage 
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act 
• Family and Medical Leave Act 
• OSHA-Job Safety & Health Protection

Another increase will occur on July 24, 2008, raising the federal minimum wage from $5.85 to $6.55 per hour. Again, the states that tie their minimum wage to the federal rate will bump their state minimum wages, too.

The 2008 Connecticut labor law posters required by state law are:

More than a dozen states will increase their minimum wages on January 1, 2008. These include Delaware, Oregon, Washington, California, Florida, Iowa, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Vermont, Colorado, Arizona, Missouri, Montanan and Ohio. The lowest rate to be increased is in Montana, where the state minimum wage will increase from $6.15 per hour to $6.26. In Missouri and New Mexico, the state rate will go to $6.50.

The New Year will bring more changes which will require employers to change labor law posters. Restaurants, bars and casinos and practically every other work environment in Illinois will enact a tough new law banning smoking.

Also, during the 2007, several other states, including Utah, Washington, Oregon, and West Virginia increased their state minimum wage. Both state and federal law require that every employer prominently display the posters in an area where they can been seen by every employee. Popular locations are a bulletin board, near the time clock or in the break room.

2007 also saw other changes that required employers to update their labor law posters. Employers in Ohio had to post new no-smoking signs at all entrances as a result of the establishment of tough new ban on smoking in the workplace.

Every Connecticut employer needs to understand that in 2007 a number of changes to the labor laws were made. In 2007, for the first time in ten years, the federal minimum wage was increased from $5.15 to $5.85 per hour as a result of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. At least ten states increased their state minimum wage on the same day.

The Connecticut Labor Law Posters that every employer is required to display are:

• Workers’ Compensation Act 
• Sexual Harassment 
• Minimum Wage 
• Discrimination Notice 
• Electronic Monitoring 
• Unemployment Poster

In addition, employers are required to display the following posters by federal law:

• USERRA - Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act 
• Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law 
• Federal Minimum Wage 
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act 
• Family and Medical Leave Act 
• OSHA-Job Safety & Health Protection

Another increase will occur on July 24, 2008, raising the federal minimum wage from $5.85 to $6.55 per hour. Again, the states that tie their minimum wage to the federal rate will bump their state minimum wages, too.

The 2008 Connecticut labor law posters required by state law are:

More than a dozen states will increase their minimum wages on January 1, 2008. These include Delaware, Oregon, Washington, California, Florida, Iowa, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Vermont, Colorado, Arizona, Missouri, Montanan and Ohio. The lowest rate to be increased is in Montana, where the state minimum wage will increase from $6.15 per hour to $6.26. In Missouri and New Mexico, the state rate will go to $6.50.

The New Year will bring more changes which will require employers to change labor law posters. Restaurants, bars and casinos and practically every other work environment in Illinois will enact a tough new law banning smoking.

Also, during the 2007, several other states, including Utah, Washington, Oregon, and West Virginia increased their state minimum wage. Both state and federal law require that every employer prominently display the posters in an area where they can been seen by every employee. Popular locations are a bulletin board, near the time clock or in the break room.

2007 also saw other changes that required employers to update their labor law posters. Employers in Ohio had to post new no-smoking signs at all entrances as a result of the establishment of tough new ban on smoking in the workplace.

Although businesses aren’t required to establish drug-free workplaces, the Connecticut Drug Free Workplace Alliance hopes that they will. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, also known as OSHA, has formed an alliance to work with unions and contractor associations. The focus of this alliance is to protect workers by encouraging businesses to create drug-free workplaces. 

Alcohol and drug abuse problems in the workplaces can really cost employers. For instance, employees with abuse problems may miss more work. They also may make more mistakes and have more accidents. In fact, OSHA maintains that the majority of fatal workplace auto accidents involved abuse or either alcohol or drugs. 

To help keep both their employees and their businesses safe, employers can start by educating employees on the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. They also can help employees who have problems by encouraging them to take advantage of available help. Many companies also use both pre-employment drug testing and random testing to help create a drug-free workplace. 

Employers need to take five steps if they want to use a comprehensive approach when creating a drug-free workforce. The first step is to formulate a policy. After that, supervisors need to be trained on the policy. Next, employees need to be educated on the policy and the dangers of abuse. Following that, employers need to establish some form of assistance for employees with alcohol or drug problems. Finally, although they need to consider the privacy of employees, employers should establish an approach toward drug testing.

OSHA feels that abuse problems in the workplace are avoidable. When employers create drug-free workplaces, they not only improve their own businesses, they also help strengthen the nation. Maintaining a drug-free workforce is very important, especially in businesses where dangerous machinery is involved. Employers need to make certain that employees aren’t impaired by alcohol or drugs when operating such machinery.

The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced that it will update the federal child labor laws for the 21st century.

Employers should keep in mind that any changes under this plan will apply to the federal laws, not the Connecticut child labor laws.

In April, the U.S. Department of Labor published a proposal to update the portion of the FLSA concerning teenaged workers. The proposed changes are expected to provide additional protection for young workers.

The federal child labor laws are part of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Passed in 1932, the FLSA was the first comprehensive federal law to protect young workers. Prior to its passage, it was common for children as young as 8 years old to be employed for 10 to 12 hours per day in mills and factories. They frequently operated dangerous machinery, and sometimes worked all day without a meal break. The FLSA is the same law that established a federal minimum wage, and governs overtime pay for those who work more than 40 hours per week.

Key new provisions under these changes will prohibit young people ages 14 and 15 from participating in door-to-door sales, also known as youth peddling activities. It’s important to note that young people would still be allowed to sell candy, magazines, cookies and similar items for their school or favorite charity. The law simply prohibits employers from hiring young people for such activities.

Under the current federal and Connecticut child labor laws, young people are prohibited from a number of hazardous occupations.  Youngsters currently can’t operate a bulldozer at work or be in charge of foundry equipment. However, the proposed changes would expand those restrictions. Young people would be prohibited from working at poultry slaughtering plants, and fighting forest fires, under the new regulations. The updated regulations also preclude youths from operating balers and compactors, except those that strictly work with paper products. Young people are currently prohibited from operating forklifts, but the new regulations would prevent youngsters from riding as passengers on forklifts.

This is just the latest round of changes to the federal child labor laws. In December 2004, the Department of Labor issued final regulations that made a number of changes to existing child labor laws. In particular, young people were protected from working in the roofing industry, and in restaurant cooking. Those changes were made based on a 2002 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health review of hazards in child labor.

If you’re an employer, now is the time to bring your Connecticut USERRA poster up to date. That way, all of the latest information will be on display for your workers. In fact, you’re required to do so. USERRA covers the rights of returning veterans, but even if you have no employees in the military, you must display an up to date poster. It’s the law.

The updated poster would reflect the final USERRA regulations, recently released by the U.S. Department of Labor. USERRA is an acronym for the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994. It applies to members of the National Guard and Reserve as well as returning veterans, and its purpose is not only to protect veterans but also to insure enforcement of the law and insure that the regulations are periodically clarified.

USERRA’s bottom line is that military personnel have the right to be reinstated to their former non-military jobs, provided the time they served their country was a total of 5 years or less. The time is cumulative, meaning it need not have been served in a single stretch. Some veterans – many of those who were wounded in action, for example – are covered even if they have served up to 7 years.

If conditions have changed during the employee’s military absence and new skills are required in the old job, employers must train – or retrain – that employee’s absence to insure that the worker once again qualifies for employment. If that is not possible, reemployment in another position is required by law.

While an employee is away serving in the military, it’s as if that employee is on any other type of leave of absence, whether maternity or disability.

The system is called the “escalator principle.” Imagine a career as an escalator, advancing upward over time. If the employee must get off the “escalator” for a period, that employee is entitled to the same spot on the escalator after military duty is served, as if he or she had never gotten off.