On April 17th, Friday Governor Lamont signed an Executive Order which updates Safe Workplace Rules for Essential Employees. This Executive Order identifies many requirements including updating contact requirements, guidelines for essential employees, guidelines for workplace illness, among other guidelines.

A key requirement outlined in the Executive Order is the wearing of face masks and requires the following:

Masks

• Requires all working employees “to wear a mask or other cloth material that covers his or her mouth and nose at all times while in the workplace.”  
• Requires employers to issue such masks or cloth face coverings to their employees. In the event an employer is unable to provide masks or cloth face coverings to employees because of shortages or supply chain difficulties, employers must provide the materials and CDC tutorial about how to create a cloth face covering, or compensate employees for the reasonable and necessary costs employees expend on such materials to make their own mask or cloth face covering.
• This requirement is effective at 8 PM on April 20.
• Nothing in these rules shall require the use of a mask or cloth face covering by anyone for whom doing so would be contrary to his or her health or safety because of a medical condition.
• If a person declines to wear a mask or cloth face covering because of a medical condition as described above, such person shall not be required to produce medical documentation verifying the stated condition.

This is consistent with the previously released Essential Safe Store Rules released on April 3:

Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

Recently, the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) released information that employers can request an extension of the required Sexual Harassment Prevention Training requirements. These training requirements were listed in my blog of last September:

The extension request’s key components are:

• Employers must request an extension from the CHRO. An extension is not automatic.
• This extension is only for employees hired after October 1, 2019.
• Employers must identify the specific reason for the extension request due to COVID-19, examples are technology issues, employee illness due to COVID-19, “or other unforeseen circumstances.”

The extension is for 90 days, and employers need to e-mail the CHRO stating the specific reasons for the request.