Glenn Dowd News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

With summer coming to an end and vacation time drying up, some employers are revisiting their thinking around two concepts: vaccine mandates and a return to in-office work. After the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, many industries began allowing their employees to work remotely to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus. Once COVID vaccines were made available, employers began grappling with whether or not to mandate the shot before workers return to the office.

While hard work and long hours are ingrained in the American psyche as badges of self-importance and success, the pandemic has caused employers to question what constitutes a typical workweek — and whether fewer days or hours worked could not only benefit employees, but also their bottom line. Employers are looking for new ways to attract and retain staff amid a tight labor market that has businesses competing for skilled workers by offering unprecedented perks, from sign-on bonuses to flexible work-from-home options.

Following the Biden administration’s withdrawal last month of a COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandate, many larger Connecticut employers are relieved they won’t have to comply, especially amid a tight labor market that has seen a record number of workers quit their jobs in recent months, employment lawyers said. “Employers have been struggling with this,” said Glenn Dowd, a partner in Hartford law firm Day Pitney’s labor and employment practice. “It’s very unpopular with a segment of the workforce, and the workforce is really important right now.”

Connecticut’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Authority is continuing outreach to employers, especially small businesses, as the state’s new benefits program prepares to start paying out perks Jan. 1. Andrea Barton Reeves, the authority’s CEO, said the agency has seen the most concern from small enterprises that were not previously subject to family and medical leave requirements.