Rojgar Job News

Late on Friday, March 13, 2020, the Connecticut Department of Labor issued new FAQ for employees and employers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of this may be repetitive of what I and others have posted before, but I thought it would be helpful to provide both a link to the materials but also some of the content relevant to employers as well. As the CTDOL notes, however, this FAQ should not be taken as legal gospel. It’s simply an attempt to provide some needed guidance here.  As you will see, it still leaves some decisions down to a case-by case basis. For example, if an employer requires an employee self-quarantine even though he/she is not sick (or, closes its doors for a 2 week period) and doesn’t pay its employees, are the employees eligible for unemployment? Probably, though the DOL says decisions will still be made on a case-by-case basis. Here are some other FAQ: What happens if an employer cuts an employee’s hours to part-time; is the employee sti...

Wednesday evening is the first night of Passover — one of my favorite Jewish holidays. (And, not surprisingly, not the first time I’ve written about it.) Why? Traditionally, it is one of the few times the entire extended family gets together and celebrates with great homemade food. Think matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, hard-boiled eggs, latkes (yes, my family eats them for Passover too) and, of course, my mother’s meatballs (made with my late-grandmother’s recipe, of course). But this year will be different. No family seder. At least not in person. Instead, we are using the 2020 technology instead – a video conference. Call it the Year of the Zoom Seder. Will it work? Well it won’t be the same, but it’ll be different. And that’s just fine by me.  At least we’re together. And what about the food? Well, as it turns out, my mother lives nearby and we did a distanced tradeoff.  I received a fresh batch of matzo ball soup and mea...

A few weeks ago, I did an inital post about how the new OSHA guidance on masks only served to complicate efforts for employers to comply with any such rules. This week, my colleague Alfredo Fernandez (with only a little help from me — byline notwithstanding) posted a more thorough post on the ins and outs of masks, face coverings and personal protective equipment. You can read the entire post here.  Here’s a sneak peek: The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued guidance to answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the proper use of cloth face masks “at work” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The OSHA guidance must be read in conjunction with any applicable state rules and orders, many of which currently mandate that employees wear a face covering with limited exceptions. Because face masks are an essential defense against the spread of COVID-19, understanding your employees’ respiratory health risks and establishing...