(a) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Applicant” means any person actively seeking employment from an employer;
(2) “Employee” means any person engaged in service to an employer in the business of his or her employer;
(3) “Employer” means any person engaged in business who has employees, including the state and any political subdivision thereof, except “employer” shall not include any state or municipal law enforcement agency conducting a preemployment investigation of law enforcement personnel;
(4) “Electronic communications device” means any electronic device that is capable of transmitting, accepting or processing data, including, but not limited to, a computer, computer network and computer system, as those terms are defined in section 53a-250, and a cellular or wireless telephone;
(5) “Personal online account” means any online account that is used by an employee or applicant exclusively for personal purposes and unrelated to any business purpose of such employee's or applicant's employer or prospective employer, including, but not limited to, electronic mail, social media and retail-based Internet web sites. “Personal online account” does not include any account created, maintained, used or accessed by an employee or applicant for a business purpose of such employee's or applicant's employer or prospective employer.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, no employer shall:
(1) Request or require that an employee or applicant provide such employer with a user name and password, password or any other authentication means for accessing a personal online account;
(2) Request or require that an employee or applicant authenticate or access a personal online account in the presence of such employer;
(3) Require that an employee or applicant invite such employer or accept an invitation from the employer to join a group affiliated with any personal online account of the employee or applicant;
(4) Discharge, discipline, discriminate against, retaliate against or otherwise penalize any employee who (A) refuses to provide such employer with a user name and password, password or any other authentication means for accessing his or her personal online account, (B) refuses to authenticate or access a personal online account in the presence of such employer, (C) refuses to invite such employer or accept an invitation from the employer to join a group affiliated with any personal online account of the employee, or (D) files, or causes to be filed, any complaint, whether verbally or in writing, with a public or private body or court concerning such employer's violation of this subdivision and subdivisions (1) to (3), inclusive, of this subsection; or
(5) Fail or refuse to hire any applicant as a result of his or her refusal to (A) provide such employer with a user name and password, password or any other authentication means for accessing a personal online account, (B) authenticate or access a personal online account in the presence of such employer, or (C) invite such employer or accept an invitation from the employer to join a group affiliated with any personal online account of the applicant.
(c) (1) An employer may request or require that an employee or applicant provide such employer with a user name and password, password or any other authentication means for accessing (A) any account or service provided by such employer or by virtue of the employee's employment relationship with such employer or that the employee uses for such employer's business purposes, or (B) any electronic communications device supplied or paid for, in whole or in part, by such employer.
(2) No employer shall be prohibited from discharging, disciplining or otherwise penalizing an employee or applicant that has transferred, without such employer's permission, such employer's proprietary information, confidential information or financial data to or from such employee or applicant's personal online account.
(d) Nothing in this section shall prevent an employer from:
(1) (A) Conducting an investigation for the purpose of ensuring compliance with applicable state or federal laws, regulatory requirements or prohibitions against work-related employee misconduct based on the receipt of specific information about activity on an employee's or applicant's personal online account, or (B) conducting an investigation based on the receipt of specific information about an employee's or applicant's unauthorized transfer of such employer's proprietary information, confidential information or financial data to or from a personal online account operated by an employee, applicant or other source. Any employer conducting an investigation pursuant to this subdivision may require an employee or applicant to allow such employer to access his or her personal online account for the purpose of conducting such investigation, provided such employer shall not require such employee or applicant to disclose the user name and password, password or other authentication means for accessing such personal online account; or
(2) Monitoring, reviewing, accessing or blocking electronic data stored on an electronic communications device paid for, in whole or in part, by an employer, or traveling through or stored on an employer's network, in compliance with state and federal law.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent an employer from complying with the requirements of state or federal statutes, rules or regulations, case law or rules of self-regulatory organizations.
(f) Any employee or applicant may file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner alleging violations of subsection (b) of this section. Upon receipt of the complaint, the commissioner shall investigate such complaint and may hold a hearing. After the hearing, the commissioner shall send each party a written copy of his or her decision. Any employee or applicant who prevails in such hearing shall be awarded reasonable attorney's fees and costs.
(g) If the commissioner finds an employee has been aggrieved by an employer's violation of subdivision (1), (2), (3) or (4) of subsection (b) of this section, the commissioner may (1) levy against the employer a civil penalty of up to five hundred dollars for the first violation and one thousand dollars for each subsequent violation, and (2) award such employee all appropriate relief including rehiring or reinstatement to his or her previous job, payment of back wages, reestablishment of employee benefits or any other remedies that the commissioner may deem appropriate.
(h) If the commissioner finds an applicant has been aggrieved by an employer's violation of subdivision (1), (2), (3) or (5) of subsection (b) of this section, the commissioner may levy against the employer a civil penalty of up to twenty-five dollars for the first violation and five hundred dollars for each subsequent violation.
(i) Any party aggrieved by the decision of the commissioner may appeal the decision to the Superior Court in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.
(j) The commissioner may request the Attorney General to bring an action in the Superior Court to recover the penalties levied pursuant to subsections (g) and (h) of this section.
(P.A. 15-6, S. 1; P.A. 16-169, S. 21, 22.)
History: P.A. 16-169 amended Subsecs. (d)(1) and (j) by making technical changes, effective June 6, 2016.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 557 - Employment Regulation
Section 31-12. - Hours of labor of minors in manufacturing or mechanical establishments.
Section 31-13. - Hours of labor of minors in mercantile establishments.
Section 31-13b. - Visible clock required as part of time card system.
Section 31-14. - Night work of minors regulated.
Section 31-15a. - Criminal penalty.
Section 31-16. - Night work in messenger service.
Section 31-18. - Hours of labor of minors in certain other establishments.
Section 31-21. - Legal day's work.
Section 31-22. - Labor Commissioner's duties of enforcement and reports.
Section 31-22m. (Formerly Sec. 31-51a). - Apprenticeship. Definitions.
Section 31-22n. (Formerly Sec. 31-51b). - Apprenticeship council.
Section 31-22o. (Formerly Sec. 31-51c). - Powers and duties of council.
Section 31-22p. (Formerly Sec. 31-51d). - Labor Commissioner's powers and duties.
Section 31-22q. (Formerly Sec. 31-51e). - Program of apprentice training. Informational campaign.
Section 31-22r. - Apprenticeship registration; apprentices, sponsors.
Section 31-22s. - Report re feasibility of on-line apprenticeship registration system.
Section 31-22t. (Formerly Sec. 31-51j). - Preclusion of apprentice training programs prohibited.
Section 31-22u. - Military training evaluation.
Section 31-22v. - Office of apprenticeship training. Internet web site.
Section 31-23. - Employment of minors prohibited in certain occupations. Exceptions.
Section 31-24. - Hazardous employment of children forbidden.
Section 31-25. - Operation of elevators by minors.
Section 31-28. - Registration of manufacturing and mechanical establishments.
Section 31-29. - Manufacturing license for residential buildings.
Section 31-30. - Home workers.
Section 31-31. - Records of home workers and materials.
Section 31-33. - Regulation of industrial home work.
Section 31-34. - Stained glass windows.
Section 31-35. - Lighting and sanitary condition of factories and roundhouses.
Section 31-36. - Toilet room required in foundries. Penalty.
Section 31-38. - Toilet accommodations on tobacco plantations.
Section 31-39. - Employees in paper factory to be vaccinated.
Section 31-40c. - Information and notice requirements for employers using or producing carcinogens.
Section 31-40d. - Complaints of violations. Inspections. Discrimination prohibited.
Section 31-40e. - Order to comply. Citation. Hearing. Appeal.
Section 31-40f. - Penalties. Duties of Labor Commissioner. Private right of action.
Section 31-40h. - Sterilization as condition of employment prohibited.
Section 31-40i. - Enforcement. Private right of action.
Section 31-40j. - Definitions.
Section 31-40k. - Employee's right to information concerning toxic substances. Employer's list.
Section 31-40l. - Information requirements for employer using or producing toxic substances.
Section 31-40n. - Trade secret protections. Registration with Labor Commissioner.
Section 31-40o. - Discrimination prohibited. Waiver of rights void.
Section 31-40p. - Severability.
Section 31-40s. - Smoking or use of tobacco products outside of the workplace.
Section 31-40v. - Establishment of safety and health committees by certain employers.
Section 31-40w. - Breastfeeding in the workplace.
Section 31-40y. - Employer harassment of and discrimination against interns prohibited.
Section 31-41. - Order to remove excessive dust.
Section 31-42. - Appliances for threading shuttles.
Section 31-43. - Public laundries; sanitation.
Section 31-44. - Penalty for violation of orders.
Section 31-45. - Emergency kits required in factories.
Section 31-45a. - Protection of feet.
Section 31-47. - Inspection of employee lodging houses.
Section 31-48. - Laborers not to be overcharged.
Section 31-48a. - Recruitment or referral of professional strikebreaker restricted.
Section 31-48c. - Hiring of municipal police during labor dispute prohibited.
Section 31-49. - Care required of a master for his servant's safety.
Section 31-49e. - Paid family and medical leave. Definitions.
Section 31-49f. - Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Authority established.
Section 31-49i. - Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund established.
Section 31-49j. - Duties of State Treasurer.
Section 31-49k. - State Treasurer. Investments.
Section 31-49l. - Board of directors. Responsibilities.
Section 31-49o. - Private plans. Approval of. Conditions.
Section 31-49q. - Written notice required of employer.
Section 31-49s. - Employer providing more expansive benefits.
Section 31-49t. - Authority's annual report.
Section 31-50a. - Noncompete agreements: Security guards.
Section 31-50b. - Noncompete agreements: Broadcast employees.
Section 31-51. - Blacklisting.
Section 31-51aa. - Drug testing: Effect of collective bargaining agreement.
Section 31-51bb. - Right of employee to pursue cause of action.
Section 31-51f. - Participation in Manpower Development and Training Act.
Section 31-51g. - Use of polygraph prohibited. Penalty. Exceptions.
Section 31-51ii. - Meal periods. Exemptions. Regulations.
Section 31-51jj. - Notice to employees of incoming emergency telephone calls.
Section 31-51k. - Employment of alien not entitled to residence.
Section 31-51kk. - Family and medical leave: Definitions.
Section 31-51mm. - Family and medical leave: Certification.
Section 31-51n. - Definitions.
Section 31-51nn. - Family and medical leave: Employment and benefits protection.
Section 31-51oo. - Family and medical leave: Confidentiality of medical records and documents.
Section 31-51p. - Membership in health care center as part of health benefits plan.
Section 31-51pp. - Family and medical leave: Prohibited acts, complaints, rights and remedies.
Section 31-51qq. - Family and medical leave: Regulations.
Section 31-51r. - Execution of employment promissory note prohibited.
Section 31-51rr. - Family and medical leave benefits for employees of political subdivisions.
Section 31-51t. - Drug testing: Definitions.
Section 31-51u. - Drug testing: Requirements.
Section 31-51uu. - Optional exclusion of employee health insurance premiums from gross income.
Section 31-51v. - Drug testing: Prospective employees.
Section 31-51vv. - Employment of person coerced to engage in such employment prohibited.
Section 31-51w. - Drug testing: Observation prohibited. Privacy of results.
Section 31-51x. - Drug testing: Reasonable suspicion required. Random tests.
Section 31-51z. - Drug testing: Enforcement. Damages.
Section 31-51aaa. - Individual Development Account Reserve Fund: Use and administration.
Section 31-51ccc. - Program evaluation. Report.
Section 31-51ddd. - Regulations.
Section 31-51eee. - Receipt of funds authorized.
Section 31-51fff. - Restrictions on funding expenditures to apply.
Section 31-51ww. - Individual development account programs: Definitions.
Section 31-51xx. - Connecticut IDA Initiative established. Implementation.
Section 31-51yy. - Eligibility. Duties of community-based organizations and financial institutions.
Section 31-51zz. - Individual Development Account Reserve Fund: Funds deposited in.
Section 31-52a. - Residents' preference in work on other public facilities.
Section 31-54. - Rate of wages for work on state highways.
Section 31-55. - Posting of wage rates by contractors doing state work.
Section 31-55a. - Annual adjustments to wage rates by contractors doing state work.
Section 31-56. - Hours of labor on state bridges.
Section 31-56a. - Definitions.
Section 31-56b. - Project labor agreements for public works projects.
Section 31-56c. - Use of project labor agreement re public school design-build contract.
Section 31-56d. - Severability.
Section 31-57. - Hours of labor on construction, alteration or repair of public works project.
Section 31-57a. - Awarding of contracts to National Labor Relations Act violators prohibited.
Section 31-57b. - Awarding of contracts to occupational safety and health law violators prohibited.
Section 31-57i. - Employee Misclassification Advisory Board. Members. Duties.
Section 31-57r. - Definitions.
Section 31-57t. - Permitted uses for sick leave.
Section 31-57u. - Additional leave. Donation of unused leave. Breaks in service.
Section 31-57w. - Notice to service workers of sick leave requirements. Regulations.
Section 31-57x. - Paid family and medical leave program. Implementation plan. Report.
Section 31-57y. - Unpaid time off for purposes of voting at an election.
Section 31-57z. - Education assistance programs. Notice to employees.