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.

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.

Under the new regulations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, or USERRA, the soldiers have the right to return to their civilian jobs when they come back from military service. Not only that, the employers must reemploy the veterans to the same job, and with the same remuneration and benefits. They must consider the time in the military as time in the company. In many circumstances, the workers are also entitled to annual remuneration increases and adjustments of their income to inflation. In some test cases, the veterans were eligible to promotions based in the years of seniority. The time of military service was included as time in the position.

The new rules, recently released by the Department of Labor, clarify the enforcement of USERRA. The regulations protect the members of the National Guard and the Reserve. Signed in 1994, USERRA covers the rights of veterans to return to their civilian jobs.

The Department of Labor requires that every company display Connecticut USERRA posters. The posters must contain updated and correct information.

One of the main rules of USERRA is that every soldier has a 5-year protection to their civilian jobs. The 5-year period is cumulative. An employee with 4 years in the service has another year of job protection. The periodic training time of National Guard or Reserve is not included to the 5 years. If an employee remains at military service for more than 5 years with no interruptions, she or he do not loose their rights and can solicit the reemployment when she or he come back from the military. The eligibility of the individual to the benefit is the most important criteria. Other criteria like timing, duration or frequency of the service are considered, but are secondary.

The Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) assists those who need help with claims under USERRA. VETS is a division of the Department of Labor.