In talking with dealerships around the country, it looks as if there is light approaching the end of the tunnel. Some are actually starting to hire new employees. So this probably is a good time to take a look at the way your dealership hires employees and to determine if the process is accomplishing two critical tasks: 1) identifying the best possible candidate for a position who will make the dealership money; and 2) screening out "high risk", problem candidates who are likely to cost the dealership money.

Given the typically slower summer months, I'm going to highlight some basic Connecticut employment laws that most employers should be familiar with (but that some may not).  Picking up on yesterday's post, it'll be entitled "The Basics" and hopefully will run at least once every week.

Today's topic: Weekly Payment of Wages.

Connecticut law (Conn. Gen. Stat. 31-71b) provides that employers in Connecticut have to pay their employees on a weekly basis. Not every other week. Not twice a month.

For multi-state employers on may have a bi-weekly payroll schedule across the country, this can cause a few headaches (though most payroll companies have long since been able to adapt payroll schedules on a state-by-state basis). 

But of course, there's a big exception to this:  Employers can ask the Department of Labor for a waiver. Conn. Gen. Stat. 31-71i provides that the department  has the discretion to grant or deny such a waiver, so long as the employee is paid at least once a month.  

To request a bi-weekly payment schedule, in fact, the Conn. DOL has set up an online form that the employer can fill out; these requests are typically granted by the CTDOL.  

For employers who request a semi-monthly or even monthly pay schedules, those requests have to be sent directly to the Department of Labor. Those are typically scrutinized in much more detail and there ought to be a pretty good rationale behind that request. 

Continuing the summer series of "basics" of various employment laws (see prior installments here, here and here), this week the topic is offer letters. Specifically, at the time of hiring an employee, does Connecticut require any documentation be provided to employees?

The answer is yes.  Perhaps not in the form of an "offer letter" but it must be something resembling it.  Specifically, Conn. Gen. Stat. 31-71f requires that every employer, at the time of hiring, tell employees:

1. What his or her rate of pay will be;
2. What hours the employee will be expected to work;
3. How often the employee will be paid (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.).

Connecticut law also requires that employers "make available" to employees (in writing or through a posted notice) any policies or practices relating to:

• wages;
• vacation pay;
• sick leave;
• health and welfare benefits;
• and comparable matters.

The employer must provide notice to the employees if it makes any changes to these policies or practices. 

For employers, strongly consider using a standard offer letter for each of your hires.  Also be sure that any such letters confirm that the employee is "at-will", meaning that the employer can fire the employee at any time for any reason (and the employee can leave anytime for any reason too).