A hostile work environment is when either your boss or a coworker is harassing you on an extreme level. If you hope to bring a successful lawsuit, you will need to prove that the harassment was illegal. Your employer has an obligation under federal law to protect you...
How your business can protect employees from harassment
Many companies turn a blind eye toward workplace harassment. Yet, having a strong plan to combat it can protect your business. When an employee reports harassment to you, you're obligated to take it seriously. You can take these steps to make them feel heard and...
MARKET MATTERS: Time’s Almost Up — Mandated sexual harassment training deadline looms for CT businesses
With the media focused on Harvey Weinstein’s trial and conviction, we are seeing firsthand the reverberating impact of the #MeToo movement. It should serve as a reminder that Connecticut has a new law with a looming deadline for businesses to take required action....
Fired? Could your boss do that?
Being let go from any position is hard on your ego and potentially devastating to your financial security and career. In some cases you may be let go for valid reasons, in other instances, you may feel you have been wrongfully terminated. Taking the time to learn a...
Thank you, NYS DOL!
In a recent posting, I chided the NYS Department of Labor for not providing employers definitive guidance on how to comply with new sexual harassment policy and prevention training obligations in time for October 9, 2018, a statutory deadline. Since I wrote that note,...
Get a move on, NYDOL!
A NYS statute enacted in April, 2018 requires employers to provide sexual harassment prevention training to all employees on an annual basis beginning October 9 of this year. The training has to conform to DOL issued standards but they haven’t been provided yet! A...
State Legislature fails to pass the “Largest Overhaul in Modern Connecticut History of Sexual Harassment Laws”
In March 2018, my colleague Jessica Slippen addressed the Connecticut Legislature’s effort to overhaul the state sex harassment and sex assault laws, in response to the “me too” and “times up” movements. State Democrats called it the “the Largest Overhaul in Modern...
Maritime Law Could Provide Recovery for Workplace Harassment at Sea
Working at sea is dangerous. It is an environment where injuries can occur in seconds. Because of this danger, individual seamen attached to a ship’s crew have access to specific legal remedies for injuries. These include maintenance, cure, and unearned wages...
The Times They Are A-Changin’: CT Lawmakers Propose Overhaul of State Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Laws
There is no question that in the wake of the recent scandals in Hollywood and corporate America, as well as the evolution of the ‘me too’ movement, the issue of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace has come to the forefront of American politics. ...
Confidentiality Provisions in Sex Harassment Settlements
Since reports of hideous misbehavior by film producer Harvey Weinstein started dominating headlines last Fall, virtually every industry has been affected by the avalanche of attention currently given to sexual harassment in the workplace. Some legislative proposals...