Pullman & Comley Attorney Comments on Connecticut Department of Utility Control Temporary Ban on Layoffs

Pullman & Comley Labor and Employment attorney Joshua A. Hawks-Ladds was quoted in an October 5, 2009 article in The Hartford Courant, “DPUC’s Unprecedented Move Questioned By Some.”

On September 24, 2009, the Connecticut Department of Utility Control imposed a temporary ban on worker layoffs at the Connecticut Natural Gas and Southern Connecticut Gas companies. The ban will expire on October 14 if the companies can provide a sufficient plan to maintain safe and reliable service if the proposed 67 layoffs are carried out.

According to Attorney Hawks- Ladds, who also serves as chair of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Section, “It’s a unique set of circumstances, because of the industry we’re dealing with and the fact that CNG is in such a highly regulated industry.” Attorney Hawks-Ladds also opined that DPUC's action is unlikely to set a precedent pertaining to all companies in all industries, noting "I do not think it has the far-reaching effect that some people might think it has."