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Connecticut Pay Equity Law

June 21, 2021

Connecticut passed a new law regarding pay equity, which goes into effect October 1, 2021. The law requires employers to disclose the wage range for vacant positions to applicants and existing employees. For applicants, an employer must provide a wage range to the applicant when the applicant receives an offer or at the applicant’s request. For existing employees, an employer must provide a wage range for the employee’s position when the employee is hired, when the employee changes positions, or at the employee’s request.


The Act defines “wage range” as the range of wages an employer anticipates relying on when setting wages for a position. Employers can determine the wage range for a position by reference to pay scales, current or previous actual wages, or budgets.


In addition, the Act expands the concept gender wage discrimination. The new law prohibits employers from paying someone of the opposite sex less for comparable (rather than equal) work. To determine whether work is comparable, an employer considers several factors including a “composite of skill, effort, and responsibility.” However, the Act explicitly states that employers can take into account geographic location, credentials, skills, education, and training when making compensation decisions.


In light of this new legislation, employers should review their employee compensation and wage disclosure practices.


For any questions about compliance, please contact the attorneys at The Royal Law Firm. 

Employer’s Counterclaims in Response to Suit Under Wage Act Dismissed Per Employee’s Anti-SLAPP Motion

January 15, 2025
An employer brought counterclaims of malicious prosecution and abuse-of-process in response to a Wage Act suit brought by an employee. The Appeals Court cited that the employer’s counterclaims should have been dismissed under the anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) law. Anti-SLAPP laws are meant to provide parties with a way to quickly dismiss meritless lawsuits filed against them, usually in response to a lawsuit. The plaintiff in this case, an hourly laborer, claimed that his employer violated the Wage Act by failing to pay him for four of the six weeks he worked for them. The employer refuted these allegations, stating that the employee had only worked for two weeks, that he had been paid in full and then brought counterclaims of malicious prosecution and abuse of process. The District Court judge denied the plaintiff’s motion to dismiss the counterclaims under the anti-SLAPP law. When brought to the Appeals Court, the decision was reversed; the Appeals Court stated that the defendants did not meet the burden of showing that plaintiff’s claims lacked an objectively reasonable factual basis. This ruling suggests that it might behoove an employer to pause and wait to see if a plaintiff’s Wage Act claim fails before filing a counterclaim of abuse of process or malicious prosecution in response.  If your business has any questions on this topic or any other matters, please do not hesitate to contact the attorneys at The Royal Law Firm at 413-586-2288.

Compensation Plans and Contingent Compensation Pitfalls

January 8, 2025
Attorney Trevor Brice hosted a seminar on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, discussing the possible issues with current compensation plans and contingent compensation pitfalls made possible by recent court rulings. Some of the topics discussed included: Issues with current compensation plans under the FLSA Restrictive Covenants and Compensation Plans Problems with Commission-Based Compensation Plans and Possible Solutions When a Bonus is not actually a bonus and issues under the Massachusetts Wage Act This seminar was perfect for H.R. professionals and anyone in a management position. Please feel free to contact any of the attorneys at The Royal Law Firm if you have any questions on this topic!
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