Connecticut: New Notification Requirements

As of January 29th, Connecticut employers are now subject to several requirements regarding notifications to pregnant workers. Under the amended Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act (CT FEPA), employers must distribute written notice of “the right to be free from pregnancy-related discrimination”. The notice must be given when an employee is hired, and within 10 days of the employer receiving notification of the pregnancy.JDSupra also states that “the new law also requires employers to notify existing employees of their rights under the revised law within 120 days after its effective date, which is January 29, 2018. The notification requirements may be satisfied by displaying a poster in English and Spanish in a conspicuous area at the place of business.

Displaying these posters also satisfies the notice requirement for new employees and for employees who notify the employer of their pregnancy.”

The new law also provides definitions of the terms “pregnancy”, “reasonable accommodation”, and “undue hardship”.

  • Pregnancy: “Not only a pregnancy but also childbirth or a related condition, such as lactation.”
  • Reasonable accommodation: “Defined by examples such as periodic rest, temporary transfers to less strenuous work, time off to recover from childbirth, and break time for expressing breast milk.”
  • Undue hardship: “An action requiring significant difficulty or expense when considered in light of such factors as the nature and cost of the accommodation and the overall financial resources of the employer.”

For more details on the law’s requirements, please click here.

pregnant worker

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