3D Music Academy INC

The Bartholomew Agency, LLC

C&G Outdoor Services

The Carby Corporation

Combined Insurance

Ion Solar Pros

Natural Awakenings New Haven & Middlesex Counties

Southbury Self Storage

*Joined 12/6/2023 to 01/02/2024

• Thursday, January 25 at 3 p.m.: Northstar Wealth Partners - 687 Straits Turnpike, Suite C - Middlebury
• Thursday, February 15 @ TBD - Easterseals Employment & Community Services (new location) - 1700 Watertown Avenue - Waterbury

Come help celebrate your fellow Chamber Members' milestones!

Out for Business

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Lakewood Lanes

694 Lakewood Road

Waterbury

Wake Up Your Business

Friday, January 12

8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Raymour & Flanigan

410 Reidville Drive

Waterbury

Wake Up Your Business

Friday, January 19

8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Calvary Southbury

354 Kettletown Road

Southbury

Legislative Summit

Tuesday, February 13

7:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.

Wyndham Southbury

1284 Strongtown Road

Southbury

February 21: 41st Business Women's Forum

Looking for a unique opportunity to network beyond the golf course? Join more than 60 travelers from the region and explore the beauty of Croatia and the Dalmatian coast during the Waterbury Regional Chamber's next trip abroad, taking place October 13 to October 21, 2024.

Secure your spot by March 29, 2024 and save! Optional Dubrovnik extension that runs until October 24. Price includes airfare from New York, hotels for 8 nights, select meals, day trips, and more.

For more information, visit www.waterburychamber.com/travel

This HR Corner is brought to you by Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP. Written by Attorney Nick Zaino

Connecticut employers should be aware of key new federal and state employment laws that will be effective in 2024, and some other significant developments that are likely to occur. We summarize these new laws and developments below. 

Proposed Changes to Overtime Requirements

The federal Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed increasing the minimum salary level to be exempt from $684 per week ($35,568 annually) to $1,059 per week ($55,068 annually). The DOL also proposed raising the annual compensation requirement for the highly compensated employee exemption from $107,432 to $143,988. The DOL intends to issue its final rule in April 2024. If enacted, the final rule could go into effect 60 days thereafter. There is a possibility that the DOL will modify its proposed rule, and/or that the final rule will be subject to legal challenge. Employers are well-advised to closely monitor developments and be prepared to make any necessary changes.



Non-Compete Agreements

Non-compete agreements have been under attack at the federal and state level. At the federal level, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a new rule that would make it illegal for an employer to: (1) enter, or attempt to enter, into a noncompete with a worker; (2) maintain a noncompete with a worker; or (3) represent to a worker, under certain circumstances, that the worker is subject to a noncompete. Employers would also be required to rescind existing noncompete agreements and actively inform workers that they are no longer in effect. The FTC is expected to vote on the rule in April 2024.

The General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a memorandum in March 2023 stating that many non-compete and non-solicitation restrictions violate an employees’ protected rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. States have also taken aim at non-compete agreements. For example, the New York legislature passed legislation that banned non-compete agreements; however, it was vetoed by the Governor. Legislation also has been proposed in Connecticut on numerous occasions that would severely limit the enforceability of non-compete agreements. Such legislation is likely to resurface during the next legislative session.

Workplace Discrimination Claims

The United States Supreme Court will issue a decision in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis that will have a significant impact on workplace discrimination claims. The Court will decide whether Title VII requires a plaintiff to show a materially adverse employment action to state a discrimination claim. If, as many suspect, the Court does not require a plaintiff to meet this threshold, this could result in significantly more discrimination claims, including reverse discrimination claims arising from DEI initiatives.  

Connecticut Minimum Wage Increases

Connecticut’s minimum wage increased from $15.00 per hour to $15.69 on January 1, 2024. This increase is based on the percentage change in the federal employment cost index. Future annual increases on January 1^st will also be based on the U.S. DOL’s calculation of the employment cost index for the 12-month period ending on June 30 of the preceding year.

Unemployment Compensation

There are several major changes to Connecticut’s unemployment compensation program that are effective January 1, 2024. For example, the taxable wage base that is a component of an employer’s unemployment taxes will increase from the first $15,000 per employee to the first $25,000. In addition, the minimum unemployment tax rate will decrease from .5% to 0.1% while the maximum rate will increase from 5.4% to 10%. And, in all cases, a claimant’s receipt of severance pay will now result in disqualification from receiving unemployment compensation benefits for the period of time covered by the payment. 



Sick Leave

Employers should be mindful that as of October 1, 2023, Connecticut’s sick leave law was expanded to allow the use of sick leave for a “mental health wellness day,” i.e., a day during which the individual attends to their emotional and psychological well-being instead of working their regularly scheduled shift.

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.

(L to R): Dr. Hamid Malakpour, Keegan Dally, Matteo Peca, Francisco Sousa, Paul Ludwig, Drew Paskanik

A team of Post University students bested 1,725 teams in a six-week international trading challenge, earning first place in Connecticut, 12^th place in the United States, and 47^th in the world.

This is the fourth time that a finance team from The Malcolm Baldrige School of Business at Post University competed in the Bloomberg Trading Challenge to earn the highest virtual profit, and their adviser, Dr. Hamid Malakpour, couldn’t be prouder. The first was just before the pandemic and was shut down when the shelter-in-place order came out.

“This is an amazing accomplishment. I am extremely proud that our students from The Malcolm Baldrige School of Business have completed the challenge,” expressed Dr. Malakpour, the program chair of finance department. “We integrate Bloomberg into the teaching of various courses in the business school. Finishing in the 47th position is another testament to the strength of our practical and experiential learning approach to finance.”

The students on the team, all finance majors, were Drew Paskanik , Francisco Sousa, Paul Ludwig, Keegan Dally, and Matteo Peca. The group says their classes were instrumental in developing their strategy, maintaining confidence, and achieving their goals.

Through this competition, the students competed against other students around the world to experience firsthand what real-world investing looks and feels like. The Post team bested teams from the University of Connecticut, Columbia, Cornell, John Hopkins, the University of California (Berkeley), the University of Chicago, and other state and private universities. The winning team was from Hong Kong University.

Each team had $1 million virtual dollars to invest. The winning team had the highest time-weighted relative return relative to the Bloomberg World Large, Mid & Small Cap Price Return Index (WLS Index). The challenge takes place entirely within the Bloomberg Terminal and allows students to show and test their skills and knowledge of finance. 

The Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce will present its 2023 Lewis A. Dibble Sr. Award in January to Attorney Edward G. Fitzpatrick, Partner of Fitzpatrick, Santos, Sousa, Perugini P.C.

The award, presented annually by the Chamber, recognizes an individual’s outstanding contributions to the business and the socioeconomic well-being of Naugatuck. Fitzpatrick will receive the award during the Naugatuck Chamber’s 102^nd Annual Meeting and Lewis A. Dibble Award Dinner presented by Develomark on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024 at Aria Wedding and Banquet Facility in Prospect. The event will begin with cocktails at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards program at 6:30 p.m.

A lifelong Naugatuck native, Fitzpatrick has been practicing law since 1978. In 1987, he opened his own law office in downtown Naugatuck, where he continues to practice today with partners Carlos Santos, Cesar Sousa, Danielle Perugini, Timothy Fitzpatrick, and Antonio Nunes. The firm concentrates its practice in the areas of personal injury, real estate, family, municipal, and probate law. In addition to his professional life, Fitzpatrick has enjoyed coaching, with the assistance of others, many local youth sports teams from the Naugatuck YMCA and Naugatuck Youth Soccer Leagues. He is also a former member of the Naugatuck Chamber Board of Directors and the Borough of Naugatuck Finance Board, and currently serves on the Board of Corporators of Ion Bank. Recently, Fitzpatrick has been recognized by the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence for his efforts to combat domestic violence.

To register, visit www.naugatuckchamber.com or call 203-757-0701. Businesses interested in showing support for the Chamber and the local business community can sponsor the event; those wishing to have their company represented on the event invitation should respond by Dec. 8, 2023. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Events Director Chris Caulfield at [email protected]