Harris Law, LLC

Navigating the myriad laws that protect employee rights can be daunting and confusing.  At Harris Law, LLC we are here to help you navigate these challenges, and fight for your rights.   

Discrimination

Both state and federal law protects employees from discrimination.   In Connecticut employees are protected from discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, ancestry, learning disability, intellectual disability, physical disability, mental disability, marital status, national original, religious creed, sexual orientations, pregnancy, and status as a veteran.

Protections for Illness and Injury

The law includes many protections for people who are injured, sick or otherwise suffering an illness. 

Workers' Compensation - Employers are prohibited from retaliating against you or taking adverse action against you because you reported a workplace injury, sought medical treatment for a workplace injury or made a claim workers' compensation.  

Family Medical Leave Act - Both state and federal law protects employees' jobs when they need to take time off for a serious health condition, the birth or adoption of a child, and to care for certain family members who have a serious medical condition.   Your rights under the federal FMLA and CT FMLA include the right to take up to 12 weeks of job protect leave, which may be taken in a block or intermittently, the right to be free from retaliations for requesting or taking leave, and the right to be return to the same or substantially equivalent position upon completion from leave. 

CT Paid Leave - Provides income replacement when you need to be out of work for an FMLA qualifying reason. 

CT Paid Sick Leave - Connecticut law requires certain employers to provide five paid sick days per year to certain employees. The law provides protection when you use these sick days in accordance of the law, and prohibits employers from retaliating against you for taking them. 

Pregnancy & Medical Conditions Relate to Pregnancy & Lactation

Both federal and Connecticut law provide protections to person who are pregnant, who have medical conditions related to pregnancy and who are lactating or breastfeeding.   These protections include protections against termination, reduction or termination of benefits, or job assignment in certain circumstances. 

The federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act became effective on June 27, 2023.   The Act requires certain employer to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees (or job applicants) with limitations related, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause undue hardship. Accommodations can include: 

*  Additional, longer, or more flexible breaks to drink water, eat, rest, or use the restroom;

*  Changing food or drink policies to allow for a water bottle or food;

*  Changing equipment, devices, or workstations, such as providing a stool to sit on, or a way to do work while standing;

*  Changing a uniform or dress code or providing safety equipment that fits;

*  Changing a work schedule, such as having shorter hours, part-time work, or a later start time;

*  Telework;

*  Temporary reassignment;

*  Temporary suspension of one or more essential functions of a job;

*  Leave for health care appointments;

*  Light duty or help with lifting or other manual labor; or

*  Leave to recover from childbirth or other medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is illegal, and should not be tolerated in any work place.  Retaliation for reporting sexual harassment is also illegal.  

According to data collected by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) between 25% and 85% have been sexually harassed in the workplace.  An analysis of EEOC complaints and resolutions by the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that significant portions or employees who report sexual harassment either internally within the company, or to government agencies such as the EEOC or the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) are retaliated against including termination. 

As a staunch defender of women's rights, including the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, Attorney Harris has a particular interest in representing victim of workplace sexual harassment, and will help guide you through the legal process of securing your rights.  

Sexual harassment can be perpetrated against a person of any sex or gender, and be committed by persons of any sex or gender.   Sexual harassment can occur between people of different sexes or genders, and of people of the same sex or gender.

Sexual harassment can include a wide array of behaviors including sexual assault, groping, other unwanted touching, requests for sexual favors, unwanted requests for dates or romantic involvement, using sexualized nicknames, cat calling, sending unwanted photographs of a sexual nature via text, email or other means, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. 

Sexual harassment can also include jokes and statements of a sexual nature, inappropriate or intrusive questioning or comments regarding your spouse or romantic partner, or referring to others by inappropriate sexualized or gendered language (such has honey, sweety, baby, girl, and woman).  

The harasser can be a supervisor, co-worker, and can include people who are not employees such as vendors, customers and clients.

Attorney Harris has over 20 years of experience in personal injury litigation including claims related to car accident and medical malpractice.  

Our website is still under construction, and we will add additional information in time. 

Attorney Harris has practiced in the area of civil rights for more than a decade.   She handles cases involving police excessive force, false arrest, First Amendment claims. including freedom of speech, and other civil rights issues. 

Our website is still under construction, please check back as more information will be added in the future.