We have written about the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee’s final flurry of activity of approving and advancing bills out of committee. In addition to the bills that we have already summarized, here...more
4/22/2022
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Connecticut ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Rights ,
General Assembly ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Reform ,
Over-Time ,
Public Employees ,
Quotas ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
We have written repeatedly in these pages about the status of statewide masking and employee vaccination mandates for Connecticut schools (both public and private) schools. ...more
2/18/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Last week, the Connecticut House of Representatives passed (as amended) House Bill 5047 (“An Act Concerning The Extension Of Certain Executive Orders And Department Of Public Health Authority”)....more
2/14/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Legislatures ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Workplace Safety
We have written repeatedly in these pages about statewide masking and employee vaccination mandates for Connecticut schools (both public and private) via Executive Orders from Governor Ned Lamont. While on February 15, 2022,...more
2/9/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Educational Institutions ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On September 10, 2021, Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 13G, which set forth a revised COVID-19 vaccination mandate for Connecticut school employees (and childcare facilities). As my colleague, Melinda Kaufmann noted,...more
9/21/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Private Schools ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Public Schools ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On Friday, August 27, 2021, approximately 200 people joined us for a webinar on issues faced by Connecticut schools as they reopen this fall during the current COVID-19 pandemic. We covered topics such as mask mandates,...more
9/1/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Educational Institutions ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Essential Workers ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
School Policies ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On Wednesday, August 25, 2021, the Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) issued “Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Vaccinations for Covered Workers in Schools.” This guidance from the SDE addresses Governor Ned...more
8/27/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Screening Procedures ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On August 19, 2021, the Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) issued its much awaited “Adapt Advance Achieve” guidance on COVID-19 mitigation strategies for Connecticut’s schools for the fall of 2021. This year’s...more
8/24/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Safety Standards ,
Students ,
Workplace Safety
Recently, my law partner, Zachary D. Schurin, wrote about Governor Lamont latest/revised Executive Order – Executive Order #13A– concerning the wearing of masks (and/or other cloth facial coverings). While Executive Order...more
8/16/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Private Schools ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Public Schools ,
Workplace Safety
The 2021 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly concluded on June 9, 2021, but the primary source of action on education law issues was a special session of the General Assembly and ensuing “budget implementer”...more
8/10/2021
/ Charter Schools ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
General Assembly ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Native American Issues ,
Public Sector Unions ,
School Districts ,
Special Education ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Team Mascots ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour
In addition to bills described in our last post, the General Assembly’s Education Committee approved and advanced out of committee the following funding-related and “omnibus” bills, including bills reaffirming the Committee’s...more
5/10/2021
/ Construction Project ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Federal Funding ,
General Assembly ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Legislative Agendas ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Funding ,
Students
Following its initial action; https://workingtogether.pullcomblog.com/archives/latest-developments-from-the-connecticut-general-assembly-the-labor-and-public-employees-committee-begins-to-speak-3/; the General Assembly’s...more
4/26/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Essential Workers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Reform ,
Layoffs ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Masks ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Remote Working ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workers' Compensation Claim ,
Workplace Safety
As our regular Education Law Notes’ readers know, we have provided cascades’ worth of updates on federal and state COVID-19 guidance during this year long pandemic. There are many signs of optimism, as infection rates drop,...more
Last week, we wrote about the continuing expansion of and revisions to the COVID-19 vaccination schedules in Connecticut in this blog post. Perhaps due to a combination of the expansion of vaccination availability and the...more
Until recently, sparse access to the COVID-19 vaccines has rendered discussion of vaccination policies a distant and theoretical exercise for many organizations. The thought process among hesitant employers has largely been...more
Last week, in our sister blog, Education Law Notes, we addressed the ability of an employer to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for its staff. As discussed in that post, we were awaiting updated federal guidance that would...more
12/18/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
We are now entering the dark winter of the COVID-19 crisis; at the same time, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. In the meantime, Connecticut’s educational institutions (and employers in general) must consider how...more
12/8/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Life Sciences ,
Screening Procedures ,
Students ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
As an attorney representing Connecticut educational institutions (and employers in general), I am receiving numerous calls from clients with respect to how to properly address the possibility that the upcoming Thanksgiving...more
11/9/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
Holidays ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health ,
Quarantine ,
Screening Procedures ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Thanksgiving ,
Traveling Employee ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
To the shock of no one, the guidance concerning the use of in-person, “hybrid” and remote learning models in the Connecticut schools during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. This is not completely...more
Shortly after declaring a State of Emergency with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in light of the desire to avoid large in-person gatherings, Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 7B, which provides that the in-person...more
As an attorney representing Connecticut employers, I have received numerous calls from clients concerning how to properly respond to COVID-19 incidents. Even now, seven months since the start of the pandemic and four months...more
We have written repeatedly in these pages about the evolving guidance from Connecticut’s State Department of Education (SDE) with respect to the wearing of masks (and face coverings) in the schools...more
After declaring a State of Emergency with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor has issued a series of evolving Executive Orders (specifically, Executive Orders 7, 7D, 7N, 7TT, and 7ZZ) addressing restrictions on...more
Now that Connecticut’s schools are reopening, the million-dollar question is what happens when there is the (unfortunate) inevitable brush with COVID-19. Schools must balance the competing need to safeguard the health and...more
On August 31, 2020, the State Department of Education (SDE) issued via “Addendum 11” revised “Interim Guidance” on the wearing of masks in Connecticut’s schools....more