WORKERS' RIGHTS – CONNECTICUT

Workers in Connecticut have certain rights under federal law and state law.   Workers who belong to a union may have additional rights under the terms of the union contract.  Also, workers, like any citizen, have protection under federal and state civil rights laws against unlawful discrimination in employment. The laws regarding workers’ rights are too numerous to summarize. To get answers to your specific questions about worker’s rights, you can contact the following agencies:

• If you have a question or need information about workers’ rights or other employment related issues under Connecticut law, you can contact the State of Connecticut Department of Labor (CT DOL) Assistance Center. The Assistance Center staff will work to answer your question about workers’ rights/employment issues, and if they are unable to answer your question they will direct you to other agencies that may be able to answer your question. You can contact the Assistance Center at (860) 263-6785, or email dol.help@ct.gov. In addition, you can select from a list of hyperlinks on employment related topics or do a general search from the CT DOL webpage http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/gendocs/sitemap.html

• For questions about workers’ rights under federal law, contact the U.S. Department of Labor (US DOL) Employment Standards Administration Wage and Hour Division. The local offices are in Hartford (860) 240-4160, and New Haven (203) 773-2249. The US DOL Wage and Hour Division Call Center toll-free number is

1-866-487-9243 (1-866-4-USWAGE), or TTY: 1-877-889-5627, or send an email through the US DOL website:   http://www.dol.gov/whd/contact_us.htm. In addition, the US DOL has a web page “Find It! in DOL” at http://www.dol.gov/dol/findit.htm  that has a list of hyperlinks to online resource pages on a variety of work-related topics.

• If you have a question or complaint about discrimination in employment based on sex, race, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation, or about sexual harassment in the workplace, contact the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO). http://www.state.ct.us/chro

• The Legal Assistance Resource Center of Connecticut (LARCC) has downloadable pamphlets and flyers on its website http://www.larcc.org with information on benefits and work issues including:

• Criminal Records
• Discrimination
• Family and Medical Leave Act
• Finding and Keeping a Job
• Licenses
• Occupational Safety and Health
• Other Employment
• Unemployment Compensation
• Workers Compensation

TO FIND PROVIDERS IN CONNECTICUT’S COMMUNITY RESOURCES DATABASE:

Search by Service Names:

• Labor Standards and Practices
• Discrimination Assistance
• Legal Issues Education/Information

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SOURCES: United States Department of Labor, State of Connecticut Department of Labor, State of Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, Legal Assistance Resource Center of Connecticut
PREPARED BY: 211/kq
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: January2013