Connecticut Legislators Tout State’s Strong Workplace Sexual Harassment Laws

According to a report from NBC Connecticut, state lawmakers are touting Connecticut’s sexual harassment laws as being among the strongest in the entire county. On the very same day that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that he was leaving office due to a sexual harassment scandal, nearly a dozen Connecticut legislators held a news conference emphasizing the importance of the sexual harassment reforms. In this blog post, our Hartford workplace sexual harassment lawyers provide an overview of the recent changes to Connecticut’s sexual harassment laws. 

2019 Reforms: Connecticut Put Enhanced Sexual Harassment Requirements in Place

Unfortunately, sexual harassment remains a significant problem in workplaces in Connecticut and throughout the United States. While society is making some significant strides, there is still a long way to go to fix the issue. Connecticut is leading the among U.S. states on sexual harassment prevention. On October 1st, 2019, a new state workplace sexual harassment law went into effect. Here are four key things to know about Connecticut’s 2019 sexual harassment reforms: 

1. Employers Must Provide Information About Sexual Harassment: One of the primary issues that Connecticut’s sexual harassment reforms is meant to address is the lack of information among workers. The reality is that many people do not know their workplace rights. Under the law, employers must provide information about the unlawfulness of sexual harassment as well as the potential legal options and legal remedies that employees can access.  
2. Employees Should Be Advised Within Three Months of Employment: A Connecticut employer should advise an employee on their legal rights related to sexual harassment within three months of their employment. Companies should be proactive—ensuring that new workers are informed right away. 
3. Law Applies to All Companies and Organizations With Three or more Workers: Connecticut’s new sexual harassment law applies relatively broadly. All businesses and organizations with three or more employers are covered by the employment statute. Notably, part-time workers are counted as an employee for the purposes of the law. 
4. All Employers Must Provide Sexual Harassment Training to Supervisors: Finally, all employers in Connecticut are required to provide comprehensive sexual harassment training to their supervisory employees. While supervisors and managers are certainly not the only parties who can commit sexual harassment in the workplace, they have a vital role in ensuring that sexual harassment is prevented and that any allegations of misconduct are handled in a proper manner. 

Connecticut employees have the right to report sexual harassment without facing any retaliation or retribution from their employer. If you are fired or otherwise punished for complaining about sexual harassment, your rights were violated. 

Call Our Hartford, CT Sexual Harassment Lawyers Today

At Hayber, McKenna & Dinsmore, LLC, our Connecticut employment lawyers are skilled, reliable employee rights advocates. If you or your loved one was a victim of sexual harassment in a workplace setting, we can help. Call us at (860) 522-8888 or contact us online for a confidential consultation. With legal offices in Hartford and New Haven, we handle workplace sexual harassment and sexual misconduct claims throughout the State of Connecticut.  

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