The following article first appeared in the News & Insights section of Carmody Torrance Sandak Hennessey’s website. It is reposted here with permission.
Two recent decisions from the Connecticut Supreme Court and Appellate Court expand employee protections in the areas of wage and hour law and whistleblower complaints, and reinforce two important points for Connecticut employers:
In Del Rio v. Amazon.com Services, Inc., Amazon required its warehouse workers to undergo mandatory security screenings before leaving the premises at the end of their shift.
The Connecticut Supreme Court addressed whether the time spent by employees in these screenings was compensable.
The court interpreted Connecticut’s wage laws to require compensation for all time an employee is required to be on the employer’s premises, even if the employee is not actively performing job duties during that period.
The court also explicitly rejected the “de minimis” exception recognized under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which would allow employers to disregard small amounts of time as administratively insignificant.
For Connecticut employers, the practical takeaway is straightforward—because state wage laws provide greater protection for employees, employers should pay employees for all time during which...
Two Canada-based steel companies, Farjess Inc. and Royal Canadian Steel Inc., along with their part-owner and president, Feroz Jessani, have agreed to pay $19 million to resolve allegations that t...