A Note from our President, Lynn Ward |
Dear Chamber Member,
Applications are now being accepted for our new Central Business District Investment Program, a matching economic initiative aimed at helping central business district property owners in Waterbury lease their vacant storefronts. You can find more information here.
It was great to see so many of you at the Brass City Jazz Fest on August 6. This was the first time that Main Street Waterbury, an affiliate of the Chamber, was directly involved in the planning process and we had a great turn out! You can see some photos from the event below.
I hope you will join us tomorrow morning for our Health Care Council 17th Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony, taking place on Tuesday, August 16 from 7:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. at Aria in Prospect. You can learn about the award recipients below! Register for the event here.
Our next Out for Business takes place on Thursday, September 22 at Ion Bank's New Haven Road location in Naugatuck. Come enjoy some food and beverages, networking with other Chamber Members, and get the chance to win one of several door prizes! You can register now here.
Are you looking for a unique opportunity to advertise your business or organization? The next edition of our HealthMatters supplement will be published on September 18 and distributed to more than 30,000 households and businesses across the Waterbury Region. The deadline is August 29. Scroll down for additional details.
Our 2022-23 Chamber Member Business Directory was published and distributed with the Republican American on August 4. If you are looking for a copy, please stop by the Chamber offices or call 203-757-0701. You can also view the directory online here.
You can reach me, as always, at (203) 757-0701 or lward@waterburychamber.com. Keep scrolling for this month’s updates and events to take full advantage of what our Chamber has to offer.
Thank you, more than ever, for your continued membership,
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In This Issue:
- President's Note
- In the News
- A Message from Newsletter Sponsor: Post University
- HR Corner
- Welcome New Members
- Member Benefit Highlight
- Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- Watertown-Oakville Chamber News
- Hiring/Training Programs
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Brass City Jazz Fest Recap |
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Message From Newsletter Sponsor,
Post University
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Post University Adds New Articulation Agreements with Five Colleges and the Center for Financial Training in Connecticut |
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Post University has entered into memorandums of understanding with four nearby colleges and a training center in Connecticut – Middlesex Community College, Quinebaug Valley Community College, Capital Community College, and the Center for Financial Training – as well as the Technical College of the Lowcountry in South Carolina and Arizona College of Nursing. These six new agreements will allow for two-year degree earners to continue their education at Post, in-person or online.
As the need for upskilling becomes increasingly important in today’s job market, the need for affordable paths to a degree has become essential. Articulation agreements streamline the process while ensuring the transferability of credits.
“We are excited to continue expanding our network of transfer partnerships,” said Virginia Folger, articulation agreement specialist at Post University. “Meeting students where they are is a must. These agreements are our commitment to making degree attainment a reality by offering a seamless transition from associate to bachelor’s degrees.”
Middlesex Community College associate degree graduates will automatically be accepted into one of eight Post University bachelor’s degree programs, including accounting, biology and communications. While most of the transferrable programs can be completed online, the Bachelor of Science in Biology is only available in person at Post’s Main Campus in Waterbury.
Quinebaug Valley Community College students who earned their associate degree and completed all required accounting courses will be accepted into Post’s Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Students who received an Associate Degree in Business Administration: Management Option can choose to continue their education by following the Bachelor of Science in Management curriculum track.
Capital Community College associate degree graduates will be able to continue their studies at Post University to earn bachelor’s degrees in the following programs: accounting, biology, communication and media studies, criminal justice, human services and management. Bachelor of Science in Biology is only available in person at Post’s Main Campus in Waterbury.
Center for Financial Training students will be able to transfer a maximum of 10 classes for a bachelor’s degree and five for an associate degree.
Technical College of the Lowcountry nursing graduates will be able to earn their BSN or MSN degrees online through Post University’s American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Arizona College of Nursing students who no longer wish to pursue a career in nursing will be able to transfer their general education credits to Post University which offers learners a wide range of academic paths towards bachelor’s degrees in almost 30 subject areas.
All students accepted to Post University through one of these six articulation agreements will receive a reduced tuition rate.
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HR Corner: The Obligation to Provide a Medical Leave as a Reasonable Accommodation |
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The federal and Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Acts (FMLA) provide clear requirements for how much job-protected leave a covered employer must provide to its eligible employees. That is, eligible employees are generally entitled to 12 weeks of job-protected leave over a 12-month period, plus an additional two weeks of leave under the Connecticut FMLA for a serious health condition resulting in incapacity during pregnancy.
But does an employer have any obligation to provide a medical leave to an employee who is not eligible for leave under the federal or Connecticut FMLAs? For example, does an employer have to provide job-protected medical leave to an employee who has been employed less than three months or to an employee who has exhausted their available FMLA leave?
The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act require employers to provide a reasonable accommodation to employees with a covered disability. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and courts have held that a medical leave can be a reasonable accommodation. Therefore, an employer may be required to provide an employee a medical leave of absence even if the employee is not eligible for FMLA leave or has exhausted their FMLA time. The question then becomes, how much time off is an employer required to provide?
Unlike the federal and Connecticut FMLAs, there is no bright line rule on how much leave an employer must provide except that an employer is not required to provide an indefinite leave of absence. If an employee requests a definite leave of absence, the question of how much leave an employer must provide depends on the facts and circumstances. This blurry answer, coupled with the fact that employers may have to provide a medical leave of absence beyond what the FMLA already requires, is understandably frustrating for employers. However, there are some tips and guidelines for managing these situations:
- Request medical certification to support the need for medical leave and the expected duration;
- Determine whether reasonable accommodations can be provided that would eliminate the need for leave;
- Fairly evaluate whether the amount of leave can be reasonably accommodated. Consider not only the anticipated length of the medical leave but also factors such as whether there are other employees who work in the same job classification thereby making it easier to assign the work of the absent employee, whether the employer can hire a temporary employee to fill the gap, the length of time that it would take to fill the employee’s position (if it would take a comparable amount of time to replace the employee as it would to grant the leave, then the employer should probably grant the leave), how much leave the employer has provided in other circumstances, and whether the leave of absence truly creates an undue hardship for the business;
- Communicate with the employee about the leave including options for possibly working on a reduced schedule and confirmation of the expected return to work date; and
- If the employee’s physician asks for repeated extensions of the return-to-work date, then this could amount to a de facto request for an indefinite leave, which likely is not reasonable.
Employers should remember that when an employee asks for a reasonable accommodation, the ADA expects employers and employees to engage in an interactive process to discuss the requested accommodation. Therefore, employers should not automatically reject a medical leave request because, for example, the employee exhausted their FMLA leave time or is not eligible for FMLA. Instead, the employer should begin a dialogue with the employee about what the employer might be able to reasonably accommodate.
If you have questions about what you can do to improve your employee retention, contact a member of Carmody’s Labor and Employment team.
This information is for educational purposes only to provide general information and a general understanding of the law. It does not constitute legal advice and does not establish any attorney-client relationship.
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A warm welcome to our newest members!* We encourage you to connect with them soon and see where your next partnership can be!
*Joined 7/13/22 to 8/11/22
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Submit your Company News for an Upcoming Newsletter or Social Media Post |
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Each month, the Chamber publishes its Member Connection e-newsletter, which contains submitted content from our members. If you have an upcoming event, employee promotion or news, company updates, or other related content, submit it through the newsletter form here by the 25th of every month to ensure it makes the publishing deadline. If you have similar content that would be suitable to share on one of our many social media channels, you can also submit it by email for possible publication. If you have a photo or flier to share on social media, JPG or PNG formats work best. Remember, if you want something shared on our Instagram channels, that network only accepts square-shaped images (1080 pixels by 1080 pixels).
Get more visibility for an upcoming event or your organization and submit your content today!
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Upcoming Events & Opportunities |
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2022 Honorees:
Leadership Award: Joan Doback, Chief Physician Assistant, Bone Health Coordinator, Waterbury Hospital
Unsung Hero Award: Derri Hamilton, RN, MSN, Program Director of Behavioral Health, Saint Mary’s Hospital/Trinity Health of New England
and April Waterman, RN, Head Nurse, ICES, Inc./We Do Life… Together
Award for Organizational Excellence: Naugatuck Valley Surgical Center
Health Advocate Award: Mayor N. Warren (Pete) Hess, Borough of Naugatuck
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August 17: Southbury Chamber Press Conference |
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MEDIA ALERT:
WHO:
Jack Zazzaro, DMD; Local business owner, member of the Southbury Economic Development Commission, past president of the Tribury Chamber and Southbhury Business Association
Lynn Ward, President and CEO of the Waterbury Regional Chamber
Mary Rosengrant-Chiappalone, Chairwoman of the Waterbury Regional Chamber Board of Directors; Biondi & Rosengrant, LLC, partner
Wendy Mutter, President of the Southbury Business Association
Jeff Manville, Southbury First Selectman
Charlie Berger, Chatfield True Value Hardware
Kevin Bielmeier, Economic Development Director, Town of Southbury
WHAT: Media are invited to attend a press conference to mark the launch of the Southbury Chamber—a new affilaite of the Waterbury Regional Chamber. “At a time when other chambers across the state are merging or going out of business, the Waterbury Regional Chamber is expanding its reach,” said Lynn Ward, President and CEO of the Waterbury Regional Chamber. “We are excited to build on the legacy of the Southbury Business Association as they dissolve their more than 50-year tenure and use our resources to help busineses of all sizes in Southbury to be the best that they can be.”
WHERE: Chatfield True Value Hardware – 190 Main St. S, Southbury, CT, 06488
WHEN: Wednesday, August 17 – 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
WHY: The Waterbury Regional Chamber has been working in collobration with the Southbury Business Association to create this exciting, new opportunity for Southbury businesses.
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September 13: Southbury Chamber Launch |
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5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. - Heritage Hotel Golf Spa and Conference Center - Southbury |
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Join us at a complimentary launch event to learn all that the new Southbury Chamber, a new affiliate of the Waterbury Regional Chamber, has to offer. The Chamber has worked in collaboration with the Southbury Business Association to create this exciting new opportunity. Enjoy scrumptious food and beverages while networking and connecting with fellow Southbury business owners. Share your input as we develop programming to serve your business as a network, resource and advocate. This event is being hosted for Southbury businesses only.
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Applications are now being accepted for the Greater Waterbury Chamber of Commerce Foundation's new economic investment initiative, the Central Business District Investment Program, aimed at helping central business district property owners to lease their vacant storefronts.
The program uses $1.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to establish a matching grant program that would support property owners within the district who were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Greater Waterbury Chamber of Commerce Foundation is an affiliate of the Waterbury Regional Chamber. Waterbury Regional Chamber staff serve as GWCC Foundation staff and will direct and lead the program. An oversight and approval committee, compromised of City officials and Chamber Foundation officials will be responsible for reviewing and awarding the grants.
Under the program, eligible property owners can receive up to $100,000 to be used for interior or exterior buildout costs for vacant ground floor-level retail space. Property owners with vacant storefronts are eligible for a grant of $50 per square foot, up to $100,000. Any grant awarded to a property owner must be matched at 100 percent by the owner of the property, the tenant, or a combination of both parties.
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Advertise in the Fall HealthMatters Supplement |
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Watertown-Oakville Chamber News |
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Join the Watertown-Oakville Chamber on Tuesday, October 18, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. at Grand Oka Villa for our 58th Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner. During the event, we will honor Robert LaBonne Jr. of LaBonne's Markets with the Community Leader of the Year Award; Tom DeMatteis of Martino's Pizzaria with the Unsung Hero Award; and Ivy at Watertown with the Beautification Award. |
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Robert LaBonne Jr.
LaBonne's Markets
Community Leader of the Year
Presented to an individual within the business community for their dedication to economic development in our area. This person has an impact on the business community, demonstrates leadership, is involved in the community and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
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Tom DeMatteis
Martino's Pizzaria
Unsung Hero
This person or organization has made substantive yet unrecognized contributions to the community, exhibits fair and honest business practices, either lives, works or owns a business in Watertown-Oakville, and does not have to be a Chamber member. Priority consideration is given to Chamber members.
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Ivy at Watertown
Beautification Award
Presented to individuals, companies or organizations for efforts that add to the aesthetics of the area by improving their properties or key access points to the community. This person or business has made a special effort to improve and/or maintain a high standard of beautification of their property and is a Chamber member.
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Main Street Waterbury Events |
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One of the Largest brew fests in New England, now in its 16th year, provides an opportunity for beer lovers to sample over 200 varieties of craft and specialty brews, as well as international and domestic beers. This event has drawn crowds from across Connecticut and several states up and down the East Coast. A must for any beer-aficionado. |
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Register to compete in the annual backyard pit master competition and show-off your skills. Cash prizes awarded to winners. |
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Hiring & Training Programs Available |
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Do you need help finding qualified workers for your business? Could you use some financial assistance to offset the cost of hiring and training new workers, or training your existing workforce?
The Waterbury Regional Chamber is working with the Northwest Regional Workforce Investments Board to help businesses in Greater Waterbury learn more about the available hiring and training programs and whether they qualify for them. This includes providing information on posting jobs on the states CThires.com website, as well as information about Manufacturing Innovation Fund Incumbent Worker Training, the apprenticeship program, hiring veterans and on-the-job training programs.
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