CHAPTER 557
EMPLOYMENT REGULATION

PART I
HOURS OF LABOR

      Sec. 31-12. Hours of labor of minor, elderly and handicapped persons in manufacturing or mechanical establishments. (a) None of the following persons under the conditions hereinafter described shall be employed in any manufacturing or mechanical establishment more than nine hours in any day or forty-eight hours in any calendar week: (1) Persons under the age of eighteen years who are not enrolled in and have not graduated from a secondary educational institution; (2) persons sixty-six years of age or older, except with their consent; (3) handicapped persons, so designated by medical or governmental authority, except with their consent and after certification by a physician that the extended hours of work will not be injurious to their health; (4) disabled veterans, as defined under state or federal law, except with their consent and after certification by a physician that the extended hours of work will not be injurious to their health.

      (b) If the Labor Commissioner finds, upon application of an employer, that an emergency exists or that seasonal or peak demand places an unusual and temporary burden upon any manufacturing or mechanical establishment, any such person may be employed in such establishment not more than ten hours in any day and not more than fifty-five hours in any calendar week, but the total number of weeks of any such employment in any twelve consecutive months shall not exceed twelve.

      (c) With respect to any group, category or class of employees for which a work week of less than five days has been established or agreed upon, the employer shall adhere to the applicable weekly limitation period prescribed but may extend the number of hours per day for each day of the shortened work week provided the number of hours shall be the same for each day of the work week.

      (d) In the event of war or other national emergency, the commissioner after investigation may, with the approval of the Governor, extend the number of weeks of any such employment if such extension is necessary to meet scheduled production of war or critical material.

      (e) No person under eighteen years of age shall be employed in any manufacturing or mechanical establishment more than (1) six hours in any regularly scheduled school day unless the regularly scheduled school day immediately precedes a nonschool day or eight hours in any other day, and (2) thirty-two hours in any calendar week during which the school in which such person is enrolled is in session, or forty-eight hours in any calendar week during which the school in which such person is enrolled is not in session. Notwithstanding any provision of this section, the number of hours such person participates in a work experience that is part of an approved educational plan, cooperative program or school-to-work program shall not be counted against the daily or weekly limits set forth in this section.

      (f) The provisions of this section shall not apply to permanent salaried employees in executive, administrative or professional positions as defined by the Labor Commissioner, or to persons under eighteen years of age who have graduated from a secondary educational institution.

      (1949 Rev., S. 7343; September, 1950, S. 3009d; 1963, P.A. 158; 1969, P.A. 802, S. 1; P.A. 73-65, S. 1, 2; P.A. 85-28, S. 1; P.A. 98-210, S. 1; P.A. 06-139, S. 1; P.A. 07-217, S. 142.)

      History: 1963 act deleted provision requiring employers' to post required work hours for minors and women and prohibiting employment of such persons for longer on any day than posted required hours and added provision excluding permanent salaried employees in executive, administrative or professional positions from section provisions; 1969 act changed maximum number of weeks in a year when 10-hour days or 55-hour weeks may be required from 8 to 12; P.A. 73-65 deleted women from applicability of provisions and extended applicability to cover persons 66 and older, handicapped persons and disabled veterans and added provision re shortened work weeks; P.A. 85-28 exempted persons who have graduated from a secondary educational institution from the employment restrictions placed on minors; P.A. 98-210 clarified that applicability is to persons under 18 years of age who are not enrolled in and have not graduated from a secondary educational institution, reduced the number of hours a student under 18 years of age may work in a manufacturing or mechanical establishment while school is in session, created an exemption for graduates under 18 years of age, and added alphabetic Subsec. indicators and numeric Subdiv. indicators; P.A. 06-139 made a technical change in Subsec. (c) and deleted former Subsec. (f) re penalties for violation of section, redesignating existing Subsec. (g) as Subsec. (f), effective January 1, 2007; P.A. 07-217 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 12, 2007.

      Sec. 31-13. Hours of labor of minors, elderly and handicapped persons in mercantile establishments. (a) None of the following persons under the conditions hereinafter described shall be employed in any mercantile establishment more than eight hours in any one day, or more than six days in any one calendar week or more than forty-eight hours in any one calendar week: (1) Persons under the age of eighteen years who are not enrolled in and have not graduated from a secondary educational institution; (2) persons sixty-six years of age or older, except with their consent; (3) handicapped persons, so designated by medical or governmental authority, except with their consent and after certification by a physician that the extended hours of work will not be injurious to their health; (4) disabled veterans, as defined under state or federal law, except with their consent and after certification by a physician that the extended hours of work will not be injurious to their health; but any such person may be permitted to work in any such establishment one day in any calendar week for not more than ten hours, for the purpose of making one shorter day during such week, and any employer who, during any year, gives not fewer than seven holidays with pay shall be exempt from the foregoing provisions hereof during the period from the eighteenth to the twenty-fifth day of December of such year.

      (b) If the Labor Commissioner finds, upon application of an employer, that an emergency exists or that seasonal or peak demand places an unusual and temporary burden upon any mercantile establishment, any such person may be employed in such establishment not more than ten hours in any day and not more than fifty-two hours in any calendar week, but the total number of weeks of any such employment in any twelve months shall not exceed eight.

      (c) No person under eighteen years of age shall be employed in any mercantile establishment more than (1) six hours in any regularly scheduled school day unless the regularly scheduled school day immediately precedes a nonschool day or eight hours in any other day, and (2) thirty-two hours in any calendar week during which the school in which such person is enrolled is in session, or forty-eight hours in any other calendar week during which the school in which such person is enrolled is not is session. Notwithstanding any provision of this section, the number of hours such person participates in a work experience that is part of an approved educational plan, cooperative program or school-to-work program shall not be counted against the daily or weekly limits set forth in this section.

      (d) Each employer in any such establishment shall post in a conspicuous place in each room where such persons are employed a notice, the form of which shall be furnished by the Labor Commissioner, stating specifically the hours of work required of such persons on each day of the week, and the employment of any such persons for a longer time than so stated shall be a violation of this section.

      (e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to permanent salaried employees in executive, managerial or supervisory positions excepted from the provisions of part I of chapter 558 who receive a regular salary of not less than the minimum fixed for such employment in any wage order or administrative regulation issued under authority of said part, or to persons under eighteen years of age who have graduated from a secondary educational institution.

      (1949 Rev., S. 7344; 1953, S. 3010d; 1969, P.A. 802, S. 2; P.A. 73-83, S. 1, 3; P.A. 85-28, S. 2; P.A. 98-210, S. 2; P.A. 06-139, S. 2; P.A. 07-217, S. 143.)

      History: 1969 act increased period during which 10-hour days and 52-hour weeks are permissible from 4 to 8 weeks during any year; P.A. 73-83 deleted women from applicability of provisions and extended applicability to cover persons 66 or older, handicapped persons and disabled veterans; P.A. 85-28 exempted persons who have graduated from a secondary educational institution from the employment restrictions placed on minors; P.A. 98-210 clarified that applicability is to persons under 18 years of age who are not enrolled in and have not graduated from a secondary educational institution, reduced the number of hours a student under 18 years of age may work in a mercantile establishment while school is in session, created an exemption for graduates under 18 years of age, and added alphabetic Subsec. indicators and numeric Subdiv. indicators; P.A. 06-139 deleted former Subsec. (e) re penalty for violation of section, redesignating existing Subsec. (f) as Subsec. (e), effective January 1, 2007; P.A. 07-217 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 12, 2007.

      Sec. 31-15a. Criminal penalty. Any employer, officer, agent or other person who violates any provision of section 31-12, 31-13 or 31-14, subsection (a) of section 31-15 or section 31-18, 31-23 or 31-24 shall be fined not less than two thousand dollars or more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both, for each offense.

      (P.A. 06-139, S. 7; P.A. 07-217, S. 144.)

      History: P.A. 06-139 effective January 1, 2007; P.A. 07-217 made a technical change, effective July 12, 2007.

PART II
PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEES

      Sec. 31-39a. Operation of hydraulic loading and unloading equipment at resources recovery facilities. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, each owner or operator of a resources recovery facility, as defined in section 22a-207, that (1) serves more than four municipalities, and (2) employs a floor level feed system to load solid waste into a combustion unit, but does not use overhead cranes to load municipal solid waste into the waste feed hoppers, shall have, during such times as solid waste is being moved with hydraulic loading or unloading equipment, at least two employees of the facility familiar with the operation of such equipment present in the work area in which such equipment is being operated.

      (b) No resources recovery facility shall be required to comply with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section if such facility has (1) a properly working camera trained on and with an unobscured view of the feed hopper area, or (2) a device that stops the feeder from operating whenever a person enters onto the feed hopper.

      (P.A. 07-136, S. 1.)

      Sec. 31-50a. Noncompete agreements: Security guards. (a) No employer may require any person employed in the classification 339032 of the standard occupational classification system of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor to enter into an agreement prohibiting such person from engaging in the same or a similar job, at the same location at which the employer employs such person, for another employer or as a self-employed person, unless the employer proves that such person has obtained trade secrets, as defined in subsection (d) of section 35-51, of the employer.

      (b) (1) Any person who is aggrieved by a violation of this section may bring a civil action in the Superior Court to recover damages and for such injunctive and equitable relief as the court deems appropriate.

      (2) The Labor Commissioner may request the Attorney General to bring an action in the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford for restitution on behalf of any person injured by any violation of this section and for such injunctive or equitable relief as the court deems appropriate.

      (c) The provisions of this section shall apply to agreements entered into, renewed or extended on or after October 1, 2007.

      (P.A. 07-237, S. 1.)

      Sec. 31-50b. Noncompete agreements: Broadcast employees. (a) As used in this section:

      (1) "Associated broadcast entities" means entities that provide reporting services to broadcast television or radio stations, including without limitation, subcontractors that provide weather, sports, traffic and other reports for broadcast or cablecast;

      (2) "Broadcast employee" means any employee of a broadcast industry employer, except those employees whose services primarily include sales or management functions;

      (3) "Broadcast industry employer" means the owner or operator of one or more broadcast television or radio stations, including any associated broadcast entity, but excluding cable stations or cable networks;

      (4) "Broadcast television or radio station" means an entity that is owned or operated either by holding a Federal Communications Commission television or radio license for the station, or by operating a station through a local service, sales, marketing or outsourcing agreement;

      (5) "Cable network" means an entity that distributes programming to two or more local cable systems;

      (6) "Cable station" means an entity that produces or transmits programming to one or more local cable systems; and

      (7) "Local cable system" means a cable system, as defined in 47 USC 522, as from time to time amended, operating in the state.

      (b) No broadcast industry employer employment contract for the services of a broadcast employee may contain a provision requiring that such broadcast employee:

      (1) Refrain from obtaining employment in a specified geographical area for a specified period of time after termination of employment with that broadcast industry employer;

      (2) Disclose the terms or conditions of an offer of employment, or the existence of any such offer, from any other broadcast industry employer following the expiration of the term of the employment contract; or

      (3) Agree to enter into a subsequent employment contract with the broadcast industry employer, or extend or renew the existing employment contract, upon the same terms and conditions offered by a prospective employer.

      (c) Any person who is aggrieved by a violation of this section may bring a civil action in the Superior Court to recover damages, together with court costs and reasonable attorney's fees.

      (d) The provisions of this section shall apply to employment contracts entered into, renewed or extended on or after July 1, 2007.

      (P.A. 07-237, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 07-237 effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 31-51. Blacklisting.

      Section does not preclude application of a qualified privilege to statements made in an employment reference. 284 C. 35.

      Sec. 31-51i. Employer inquiries about erased criminal record prohibited. Discrimination on the basis of erased criminal record or provisional pardon prohibited. Availability of information on employment application form. Duties of consumer reporting agency issuing consumer report for employment purposes containing criminal matters of public record. (a) For the purposes of this section, "employer" means any person engaged in business who has one or more employees, including the state or any political subdivision of the state.

      (b) No employer or an employer's agent, representative or designee may require an employee or prospective employee to disclose the existence of any arrest, criminal charge or conviction, the records of which have been erased pursuant to section 46b-146, 54-76o or 54-142a.

      (c) An employment application form that contains any question concerning the criminal history of the applicant shall contain a notice, in clear and conspicuous language: (1) That the applicant is not required to disclose the existence of any arrest, criminal charge or conviction, the records of which have been erased pursuant to section 46b-146, 54-76o or 54-142a, (2) that criminal records subject to erasure pursuant to section 46b-146, 54-76o or 54-142a are records pertaining to a finding of delinquency or that a child was a member of a family with service needs, an adjudication as a youthful offender, a criminal charge that has been dismissed or nolled, a criminal charge for which the person has been found not guilty or a conviction for which the person received an absolute pardon, and (3) that any person whose criminal records have been erased pursuant to section 46b-146, 54-76o or 54-142a shall be deemed to have never been arrested within the meaning of the general statutes with respect to the proceedings so erased and may so swear under oath.

      (d) No employer or an employer's agent, representative or designee shall deny employment to a prospective employee solely on the basis that the prospective employee had a prior arrest, criminal charge or conviction, the records of which have been erased pursuant to section 46b-146, 54-76o or 54-142a or that the prospective employee had a prior conviction for which the prospective employee has received a provisional pardon pursuant to section 54-130a.

      (e) No employer or an employer's agent, representative or designee shall discharge, or cause to be discharged, or in any manner discriminate against, any employee solely on the basis that the employee had, prior to being employed by such employer, an arrest, criminal charge or conviction, the records of which have been erased pursuant to section 46b-146, 54-76o or 54-142a or that the employee had, prior to being employed by such employer, a prior conviction for which the employee has received a provisional pardon pursuant to section 54-130a.

      (f) The portion of an employment application form which contains information concerning the criminal history record of an applicant or employee shall only be available to the members of the personnel department of the company, firm or corporation or, if the company, firm or corporation does not have a personnel department, the person in charge of employment, and to any employee or member of the company, firm or corporation, or an agent of such employee or member, involved in the interviewing of the applicant.

      (g) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (f) of this section, the portion of an employment application form which contains information concerning the criminal history record of an applicant or employee may be made available as necessary to persons other than those specified in said subsection (f) by:

      (1) A broker-dealer or investment adviser registered under chapter 672a in connection with (A) the possible or actual filing of, or the collection or retention of information contained in, a form U-4 Uniform Application for Securities Industry Registration or Transfer, (B) the compliance responsibilities of such broker-dealer or investment adviser under state or federal law, or (C) the applicable rules of self-regulatory organizations promulgated in accordance with federal law;

      (2) An insured depository institution in connection with (A) the management of risks related to safety and soundness, security or privacy of such institution, (B) any waiver that may possibly or actually be sought by such institution pursuant to section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, 12 USC 1829(a), (C) the possible or actual obtaining by such institution of any security or fidelity bond, or (D) the compliance responsibilities of such institution under state or federal law; and

      (3) An insurance producer licensed under chapter 701a in connection with (A) the management of risks related to security or privacy of such insurance producer, or (B) the compliance responsibilities of such insurance producer under state or federal law.

      (h) (1) For the purposes of this subsection: (A) "Consumer reporting agency" means any person who regularly engages, in whole or in part, in the practice of assembling or preparing consumer reports for a fee, which reports compile and report items of information on consumers that are matters of public record and are likely to have an adverse effect on a consumer's ability to obtain employment, but does not include any public agency; (B) "consumer report" means any written, oral or other communication of information bearing on an individual's credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics or mode of living; and (C) "criminal matters of public record" means information obtained from the Judicial Department relating to arrests, indictments, convictions, erased records, pardons and outstanding judgments, and any other conviction information, as defined in section 54-142g.

      (2) Each consumer reporting agency that issues a consumer report that is used or is expected to be used for employment purposes and that includes in such report criminal matters of public record concerning the consumer shall:

      (A) At the time the consumer reporting agency issues such consumer report to a person other than the consumer who is the subject of the report, provide the consumer who is the subject of the consumer report (i) notice that the consumer reporting agency is reporting criminal matters of public record, and (ii) the name and address of the person to whom such consumer report is being issued;

      (B) Access the conviction information available to the public on the Internet web site of the Judicial Department to verify, as of the date the consumer report is issued, the accuracy of any criminal matters of public record contained in the consumer report;

      (C) Maintain procedures designed to ensure that any criminal matter of public record reported is complete and up-to-date as of the date the consumer report is issued.

      (3) This subsection shall not apply in the case of an agency or department of the United States government seeking to obtain and use a consumer report for employment purposes if the head of the agency or department makes a written finding pursuant to 15 USC 1681b(b)(4)(A).

      (1969, P.A. 679; P.A. 02-136, S. 2; P.A. 03-203, S. 3; P.A. 06-187, S. 87; P.A. 07-243, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 02-136 added new Subsecs. (a) to (e) to define "employer", to prohibit employers from requiring disclosure by applicants or employees of erased criminal records, to require notice on employment application forms advising applicants that they are not required to disclose erased criminal records, to prohibit the denial of employment solely on the basis of an erased criminal record and to prohibit discharge or discrimination against an employee solely on the basis that the employee had criminal records erased prior to the employment, respectively, designated existing provisions as Subsec. (f) and amended said Subsec. by replacing "a job application form" with "an employment application form", replacing "arrest record of a job applicant" with "criminal history record of an applicant or employee", deleting former provisions re availability of arrest records and adding provisions re availability of employment application forms containing criminal history records; P.A. 03-203 added Subsec. (g) re exceptions to confidentiality of criminal history record portion of employment application, effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 06-187 amended Subsec. (d) to prohibit denial of employment solely on the basis that prospective employee had a prior conviction for which the prospective employee has received a provisional pardon pursuant to Sec. 54-130a and amended Subsec. (e) to prohibit discrimination against any employee solely on the basis that employee had, prior to being employed by such employer, a prior conviction for which the employee has received a provisional pardon pursuant to Sec. 54-130a; P.A. 07-243 added Subsec. (h) re duties of consumer reporting agency issuing consumer report used for employment purposes that includes criminal matters of public record, effective February 1, 2008.

      Sec. 31-51x. Drug testing: Reasonable suspicion required. Random tests. (a) No employer may require an employee to submit to a urinalysis drug test unless the employer has reasonable suspicion that the employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol which adversely affects or could adversely affect such employee's job performance. The Labor Commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to specify circumstances which shall be presumed to give rise to an employer having such a reasonable suspicion, provided nothing in such regulations shall preclude an employer from citing other circumstances as giving rise to such a reasonable suspicion.

      (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, an employer may require an employee to submit to a urinalysis drug test on a random basis if (1) such test is authorized under federal law, (2) the employee serves in an occupation which has been designated as a high-risk or safety-sensitive occupation pursuant to regulations adopted by the Labor Commissioner pursuant to chapter 54, or is employed to operate a school bus, as defined in section 14-275, or a student transportation vehicle, as defined in section 14-212, or (3) the urinalysis is conducted as part of an employee assistance program sponsored or authorized by the employer in which the employee voluntarily participates.

      (P.A. 87-551, S. 6, 7; P.A. 91-271, S. 2; P.A. 07-224, S. 4.)

      History: P.A. 91-271 amended Subsec. (a) to require the labor commissioner to adopt regulations specifying circumstances giving rise to reasonable suspicion; (Revisor's note: In 1997 references to "Commissioner of Labor" were changed editorially by the Revisors to "Labor Commissioner" for consistency with customary statutory usage); P.A. 07-224 amended Subsec. (b)(2) by adding provision re employee employed to operate a school bus or student transportation vehicle, effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 31-51pp. Family and medical leave: Prohibited acts, complaints, rights and remedies.

      Subsec. (c):

      "Accumulated sick leave" refers to paid sick leave that has been earned by an employee but not yet used. 283 C. 644.

      Sec. 31-51rr. Family and medical leave benefits for employees of political subdivisions. (a) Each political subdivision of the state shall grant any employee of such political subdivision who is a party to a civil union, as defined in section 46b-38aa, and who has been employed for at least twelve months by such employer and for at least one thousand two hundred fifty hours of service with such employer during the previous twelve-month period the same family and medical leave benefits under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, Public Law 103-3, and 29 CFR 825.112, as are provided to an employee who is a party to a marriage.

      (b) Any employee of a political subdivision of the state who has worked at least twelve months and one thousand two hundred fifty hours for such employer during the previous twelve-month period may request leave in order to serve as an organ or bone marrow donor, provided such employee may be required, prior to the inception of such leave, to provide sufficient written certification from the physician of such employee of the proposed organ or bone marrow donation and the probable duration of the employee's recovery from such donation.

      (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing leave in addition to the total of twelve workweeks of leave during any twelve-month period provided under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, Public Law 103-3.

      (d) The Labor Department shall enforce compliance with the provisions of this section.

      (P.A. 07-245, S. 1.)

      Sec. 31-51uu. Optional exclusion of employee health insurance premiums from gross income. Any employer that provides health insurance benefits to its employees for which any portion of the premiums are deducted from the employees' pay shall offer such employees the opportunity to have such portion excluded from their gross income for state or federal income tax purposes, except as required under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended.

      (P.A. 07-185, S. 23.)