Retaliation in the workplace can take many forms—from demotions and pay cuts to wrongful termination. If you’ve raised concerns about discrimination, wage violations, or other misconduct, the law protects you from being punished for speaking up. Both Connecticut and Massachusetts have strong statutes that shield employees who engage in legally protected activities...

Losing a job is stressful enough, and being presented with a severance agreement can add even more questions. While these agreements may provide financial support during a transition, they often include legal terms that affect your rights moving forward. Before you sign, it’s important to understand what’s in front of you and...

Losing one’s job is bad news in any economy, but some employers make it unnecessarily difficult for their former employees to collect their final paychecks. This causes additional financial stress on individuals who need to suddenly secure new employment and who need the money to make ends meet until they do. Fortunately,...

When someone gets injured on the job, one of the first things that may come to mind is pursuing a workers’ compensation claim. While filing one of these claims is essential to receiving the medical treatment and lost wages you need to recover, it is not necessarily the only option you have...

Severance packages are beneficial for the employee and the employer alike. For the employee, severance can mitigate the financial blow of a job loss and aid in the transition to a new position. Meanwhile, the employer can offer the severance package in exchange for the employee releasing legal claims he or she...

Severance agreements are commonly used contracts that provide terminated employees with certain compensation, benefits, rights, and obligations. If you are about to lose your job, your employer may ask you to sign a severance agreement.  Almost always, these documents will contain a release of liability, meaning that by signing the document you...

Employment discrimination comes in many forms, some more subtle than others. One example is the use of performance reviews to evaluate the quality of an employee’s work. If you’ve been the subject of a review or you’re an employer who wants to make sure the process is equitable, there are examples of...

Pregnant employees often face unfair treatment in the workplace, which has prompted Congress to enact the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). This law provides a number of unique legal protections designed to make sure pregnant women enjoy reasonable accommodations on the job. The employment lawyers of Stanfield Bechtel Law work to

Connecticut is an at-will employment state, so your employer can fire you for almost any reason. However, they cannot fire you for illegal reasons such as discrimination, retaliation, violating leave laws, or punishing you for refusing to do something unlawful.

If you’re a recent graduate about to enter the workforce for the first time, there’s an entire world of opportunity before you. We want to congratulate you on your achievements, but also prepare you with the legal knowledge you need to protect your rights. There are some recent updates to Connecticut and...