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Working Knowledge
An employers' resource guide to employment law in Connecticut
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Business New Haven
10/6/1997
By: Debra A. Drexler
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Aside from environmental law and intellectual-property law relating to technology and communication, employment law may be the most rapidly expanding field in the legal arena. While large businesses generally have access to advice for potential problems via either in-house counsel or an HR department with a priority of keeping current with the constant changes in and additions to employment law, many smaller businesses can afford neither.
The purpose of this section is to direct such businesses to resources which will enable them to avoid losing money to preventable and costly administrative fines and/or monetary damage awards.
Knowing the Law
For a complete listing of the issues potentially relevant to your firm, contact the Bureau of National Affairs. Request a catalogue from its customer service department at 1-800-372-1033, or hook into the human resource and labor products section of its Web site at http://www. bna.com/prodcatalog/hrl/alpha.html.
For general as well as detailed federal information ranging from applicable federal laws, rules and regulations to compliance assistance and local contacts, call or write to the Region I office of the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) at 1 Congress Street, 11th floor, Boston, MA 02114 (617-565-2072), or check its Web site at http://www.dol.gov. That site includes information on small-business regulatory compliance assistance and documents available in hard copy or electronically from USDOL under the compliance assistance information category.
For detailed information regarding compliance with OSHA requirements, go online at http://www.osha.gov for information about services and programs, such as those granting penalty reductions to small businesses.
Finally, if you believe you have been treated unfairly in the course of a USDOL regulatory inquiry or proceeding, contact national ombudsman Peter Barca at 888-REG-FAIR (734-3247) or at http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/regfair/.
For general information on state regulations and requirements of the Connecticut Department of Labor (DOL), you may call 860-566-5160 or visit its Web site at http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/. DOL's standards and suggestions for compliance with most if not all areas under its jurisdiction are available in electronic as well as hard copy. In addition, free confidential on-site inspections are offered via CONNOSHA. For specific data regarding wage and workplace standards, call DOL at 860-566-3450 for recorded messages with links to their divisions, or go directly into http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/ dol/wgemenu.htm.
If your query involves the Workers' Compensation Board, call the Office of the Chairman at 860-493-1500, the Third District (New Haven) office at 203-789-7512, or visit its Web site at http://wcc. state.ct.us/ readme.htm. The site offers virtual “one-stop shopping,” with texts of laws and decisions of the Compensation Review Board, a map with links to information on local boards, a glossary, news and more.
For those who would prefer to use and can afford to pay for private resources, a wealth of businesses are available. For example, the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, 370 Asylum St., Hartford, CT 06103 (860-244-1900) has a host of publications in comprehensive, non-legalese, printed form which address a range of regulated subjects. Both the Employer's Guide to Federal Labor and Employment Laws and Regulations and the Employer's Guide to Connecticut Labor and Employment Laws and Regulations, 1997/1998 edition, along with CBIA's guides to affirmative action and compensation, will help significantly in avoiding problems.
For reference services to assist in dealing with state and federal law, employers may contact Personnel Management Services LLC, foot of Broad St., Suite 206, Stratford, CT 06497 (203-377-5699, http:www.persmgmt.com). This company provides looseleaf and newsletter publications, annual surveys of Connecticut wage and employee benefits as well as a hotline which will answer questions directly or refer you to a source that will.
Get It In Writing
M. Lee Smith Publication, P.O. Box 5094, Brentwood, TN 37024-5094, 800-274-6774 or http://www.mleesmith.com/ supplies the Connecticut Employment Law Letter via subscription. The publication contains practical advice on developments in state and federal laws and litigation, with Connecticut laws and policies in mind. Finally, a private service providing a range of services from educational materials to conferences to lobbying efforts is the Society for Human Resource Management, 1800 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314 (703-548-3440, http://www.shrm.org/).
Business & Legal Reports Inc., 39 Academy St., Madison CT 06443 (800-727-5257 or 203-245-7488), http://www.safetyonline.net/blr publishes how-to compliance and training books for human-resource managers specific to each state as well as the environmental and compensation laws for 35 states and federal OSHA regulations that apply to all 50 states.
If you want to obtain information from a private source but do not have the resources, you can get free material from two law firms specializing in this area of law. Locally, contact Siegel, O'Connor, Schiff & Zangari, P.C. at P.O. Drawer 906, 171 Orange St., New Haven CT 06504 (203-789-0001, http://www.soszlaw.com/). This firm publishes Law of the Workplace quarterly and maintains a search system with an index of more than 30 selected categories on its Web site.
You may also get a subscription to Employment Law Briefs, created and maintained by the law firm of Schmeltzer, Aptaker & Shepard, P.C., 2600 Virginia Ave., Suite 1000, Washington, D.C. 20037 (202-333-8800, www.sas@saslaw.com/). A recent issue of this publication featured the impact of mandatory arbitration and also contained information regarding ERISA, age discrimination and the Family Medical Leave Act.
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