On May 17, 2022, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law the so-called “captive audience” bill (Senate Bill 163), which prohibits employers from requiring their employees to (a) attend employer-sponsored meetings that have a primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion concerning religious or political matters, or (b) listen to speech or view communications that have a primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion regarding religious or political matters. The law goes into effect on July 1, 2022.
The law expands Connecticut General Statutes § 31-51q, which statute already gives both public and private employees the right to sue their employer if the employer disciplines or fires the employee because of his or her exercise of free speech rights under both the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Connecticut Constitution. Such protected speech must be on a matter of “public concern” and must not substantially or materially interfere with the employee’s job performance or relationship with their employer.
This new “captive audience” amendment to the statute goes further, prohibiting an employer from disciplining or discharging an employee for “refusing to (A) attend an employer-sponsored meeting with the employer or its agent, representative or designee, the primary purpose of which is to communicate the employer’s opinion concerning religious or political matters, or (B) listen to speech or view communications, the primary purpose of...
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