# Polauf Law LLC — Connecticut Employment Law > Polauf Law LLC is the New Haven, Connecticut law practice of Stephen R. Polauf, representing employees and employers in employment litigation, agency proceedings, and workplace counseling throughout Connecticut. Stephen Polauf earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2022 and is admitted in Connecticut (Juris No. 444124). His attorney profile documents his professional background and representative matters. His employment-law commentary includes publication in the Hartford Business Journal and original analysis of Connecticut paid sick leave, wage deductions, discrimination, severance agreements, and employment litigation. Office: 630 Chapel Street #403, New Haven, CT 06510. Phone: +1-475-473-8793. Email: srp@polauflaw.com. Canonical website: https://polauflaw.com/. The firm's practice includes employee advice and representation, employer advice and defense, and agency proceedings. Fees & Services explains hourly, fixed-fee, contingency, and hybrid arrangements, consultation terms, and litigation expenses. The attorney profile provides education, experience, representative matters, and links to published work. These links provide Markdown copies of the published pages. Each copy identifies its original canonical page. Article publication and revision dates are included; statutes, decisions, and agency materials cited within the articles supply the underlying authorities. The website's current fee terms and written engagement agreement govern the scope and cost of representation. Articles provide general legal information, not legal advice for a particular person's situation. Reading the website or submitting an inquiry does not create an attorney-client relationship. The contact page provides the firm's published intake instructions and contact options. The homepage introduces the practice; the profile, service pages, fee schedule, and articles provide the detail. Topic pages are navigation collections, while search and the client portal are utility pages. This index links directly to substantive pages instead of those navigation and utility routes. ## Start here: practice, attorney, fees, and contact - [Polauf Law LLC | Connecticut Employment Attorney](https://polauflaw.com/index.md): Polauf Law LLC: Connecticut employment attorney representing employers and employees in discrimination, wage and hour, contract, and leave disputes. - [Attorney Profile](https://polauflaw.com/attorney-profile/index.md): Stephen R. Polauf, Connecticut employment attorney representing employers and employees in litigation, agency proceedings, and workplace compliance. - [Fees & Services](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/index.md): Connecticut employment law fees: $325 consultation; $325/hr counsel; $350/hr employer litigation. Selected employee cases: contingency. Fixed and hybrid options. - [Contact](https://polauflaw.com/contact/index.md): Contact Polauf Law LLC. Reach Connecticut employment attorney Stephen Polauf to discuss your workplace matter. ## Publications and firm background - [Media Archives](https://polauflaw.com/media-archives/index.md): Publications, media appearances, and legislative testimony by Stephen Polauf, Connecticut employment attorney. - [About Polauf Law](https://polauflaw.com/about-polauf-law/index.md): How Polauf Law LLC came to be: Stephen Polauf's background in public service, his path into employment law, and who the firm represents. ## Employee advice and representation - [Employee Rights Counseling](https://polauflaw.com/practice-areas/employee-advice-counsel/index.md): Employee Rights Counseling for Connecticut employees: discrimination, contracts, separation agreements, leave rights, and non-compete enforceability. - [Plaintiff Employment Litigation](https://polauflaw.com/practice-areas/plaintiff-employment-litigation/index.md): Plaintiff Employment Litigation for Connecticut employees: discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination under CFEPA, Title VII, and common law. ## Employer advice and representation - [Management Employment Counseling](https://polauflaw.com/practice-areas/employer-advice-counsel/index.md): Management Employment Counseling for Connecticut employers: termination, leave, accommodations, contracts, handbooks, and agency response. - [Management-Side Employment Litigation](https://polauflaw.com/practice-areas/defense-employment-litigation/index.md): Management-Side Employment Litigation for Connecticut employers: discrimination, wage and hour, ERISA, and agency proceedings. ## Services and proceedings - [Practice Areas](https://polauflaw.com/practice-areas/index.md): Polauf Law practice areas: Plaintiff Employment Litigation, Employment Defense Litigation, Management Employment Counseling, and Employee Rights Counseling. - [ADA Compliance and Disability Accommodation](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/ada-compliance-disability-accommodation/index.md): Connecticut ADA and CFEPA counsel on reasonable accommodation, the interactive process, undue hardship, and disability-discrimination compliance. - [CHRO / EEOC Charges & Proceedings](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/chro-eeoc/index.md): Representation in Connecticut CHRO and EEOC charges and proceedings: discrimination, harassment, and retaliation complaints for employers and employees. - [CT DOL Audits & Compliance](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/dol-complaints/index.md): Connecticut DOL audit and compliance representation: wage and workplace standards, paid sick leave, FMLA, and CT Paid Leave appeals for employers and employees. - [Personnel Policies & Employee Handbooks](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/employee-handbooks/index.md): Personnel policy and employee handbook drafting and review for Connecticut employers: compliant policies, statutory notices, and enforceable employment terms. - [Employment Contracts & Severance Agreements](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/employment-contracts/index.md): Employment contract review and drafting in Connecticut: non-competes, separation agreements, offer letters, and OWBPA compliance. - [FMLA and Paid Family Leave](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/fmla-paid-family-leave/index.md): Connecticut FMLA, federal FMLA, and CT Paid Leave counsel for employers and employees: leave eligibility, job protection, income replacement, and appeals. - [Employment Compliance Counsel](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/legal-consulting/index.md): Connecticut employment compliance and pre-litigation counsel for contract review, separation agreements, risk assessment, and dispute prevention. - [Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/litigation/index.md): Connecticut employment litigation and ADR for employers and employees involving discrimination, retaliation, wage-and-hour, termination, and business disputes. - [Connecticut Paid Sick Leave: Frontloading](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/paid-sick-leave/index.md): Connecticut paid sick leave frontloading: implementation requirements, DOL approval, wage deduction consent forms, and policy drafting for employers. - [Retaliation and Termination Complaints](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/retaliation-termination-complaints/index.md): Connecticut retaliation and wrongful-termination counsel for employers and employees under CFEPA, Title VII, whistleblower, and public-policy protections. - [Title VII and CFEPA Rights and Liability](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/title-vii-cfepa-rights-liability/index.md): Title VII and Connecticut CFEPA rights and liability: discrimination, harassment, and retaliation representation for employers and employees. - [Unemployment Hearings](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/unemployment-hearings/index.md): Unemployment compensation appeals in Connecticut: referee hearings, Board of Review appeals, and representation for employers and employees. - [Wage & Hour Disputes & Violations](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/wage-hour-deductions/index.md): Connecticut wage and hour disputes involving unpaid wages, overtime, improper deductions, pay practices, and DOL proceedings for employers and employees. - [Worker Misclassification](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/worker-misclassification/index.md): Employment misclassification analysis for Connecticut employers and workers: ABC test, IRS 20-factor test, DOL enforcement, and reclassification claims. - [Workplace Safety & Harassment](https://polauflaw.com/fees-services/workplace-safety-harassment/index.md): Workplace safety and harassment compliance for Connecticut employers: OSHA, CONN-OSHA, sexual harassment prevention, child labor, and investigations. ## Published employment-law analysis (newest first) - [Connecticut’s Ban on Employment Promissory Notes: What Public Act 26-12 Changes for Employers and Workers](https://polauflaw.com/insights/stay-or-pay-contracts-pa-26-12/index.md): A guide to Connecticut employment promissory notes, Public Act 26-12, training repayment agreements, statutory exceptions, and wage deductions. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2026-09-27; updated: 2026-09-27. - [Connecticut's New AI Law and the WARN Act: How Layoff Disclosures Will Change](https://polauflaw.com/insights/connecticut-ai-warn-act-disclosures/index.md): How Connecticut Public Act 26-15 will change WARN Act layoff disclosures, automated employment decision notices, and potential CFEPA liability. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2026-08-02; updated: 2026-08-02. - [Navigating Employee Leave: Responding to Leave Requests Under the FMLA](https://polauflaw.com/insights/employer-guide-fmla-leave-questions/index.md): A Connecticut employer guide to federal and state FMLA eligibility, required notices, deadlines, CT Paid Leave coordination, and disability benefits. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2026-07-20; updated: 2026-07-20. - [Wrongful Termination in an At-Will State: Stating a Cause of Action for Termination in Connecticut](https://polauflaw.com/insights/wrongful-termination-at-will-connecticut/index.md): When Connecticut at-will employment can support wrongful-termination claims based on public policy, contracts, discrimination, or retaliation. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2026-07-15; updated: 2026-07-16. - [Blowing the Whistle: The Mechanics of Filing a Complaint Against an Employer](https://polauflaw.com/insights/blowing-the-whistle-filing-forums/index.md): Where to file an employment complaint in Connecticut: CHRO, Superior Court, or federal court, compared on fees, exhaustion, remedies, and forum choice. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2026-07-07; updated: 2026-07-07. - [Your Employer Just Handed You a Severance Agreement. Read This First.](https://polauflaw.com/insights/severance-agreements-employee-guide/index.md): What Connecticut employees need to know before signing a severance agreement: what you are giving up, what cannot be waived, and when to say no. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2026-06-25; updated: 2026-07-07. - [Reasonable Diligence and AI: Four Practices That Do Not Require a New Rule](https://polauflaw.com/insights/safe-ai-for-lawyers/index.md): Practical standards for competent AI use in legal practice: tool selection, diligence, data protection, and verification under existing Model Rules. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2026-06-03; updated: 2026-06-04. - [Connecticut Wage Deductions: What Employers May Withhold, and How Front-Loaded Paid Sick Leave Fits In](https://polauflaw.com/insights/ct-wage-deductions-paid-sick-leave/index.md): Connecticut wage deductions are the exception, not the rule. This piece maps the five lawful paths under CGS § 31-71e, including front-loaded sick leave. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2026-04-05; updated: 2026-04-13. - [An Employment Law Reality Check: Connecticut Independent Contractor Misclassification](https://polauflaw.com/insights/ct-independent-contractor-misclassification/index.md): Misclassifying workers as contractors exposes Connecticut employers under the ABC test, FLSA economic-realities test, and IRS standards. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2026-04-04; updated: 2026-04-13. - [Frontloading CT Paid Sick Leave: Why It Still Matters (And What to Do If You Are Behind)](https://polauflaw.com/insights/frontloading-ct-paid-sick-leave-update/index.md): An updated look at why front-loading Connecticut paid sick leave still matters in 2025 and what employers who haven't yet adopted it should do now. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2026-01-13; updated: 2026-05-27. - [New Legislation Threatens to Dramatically Expand CFEPA Liability for Connecticut Employers](https://polauflaw.com/insights/cfepa-liability-expansion/index.md): Pending Connecticut legislation could dramatically expand CFEPA liability for employers: here's what the proposed changes mean and how to prepare. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2025-04-19; updated: 2026-05-27. - [Why Employment Practices Liability Insurance Is a Bad Deal for Employers](https://polauflaw.com/insights/epli-bad-deal/index.md): Employment Practices Liability Insurance is widely misunderstood as a substitute for legal counsel. Here's why it's often a bad deal for employers. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2025-04-01; updated: 2026-05-27. - [Enemy of Innovation: The Shared (Destructive) Ideas of Antitrust and Employment Laws](https://polauflaw.com/insights/enemy-of-innovation/index.md): Antitrust law and employment regulations share a common destructive trait: both suppress innovation under the guise of protecting competition and workers. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2025-03-23; updated: 2026-04-13. - [The Double Standard on Anti-Discrimination: Government Policy and Private Employment](https://polauflaw.com/insights/anti-discrimination-double-standard/index.md): A critical look at how anti-discrimination principles are applied inconsistently between government policy and private employment law obligations. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2025-03-15; updated: 2026-04-13. - [Illusory Disclaimers: Conventional Employee Handbook Clauses to Omit](https://polauflaw.com/insights/illusory-disclaimers/index.md): Many standard employee handbook disclaimers are legally illusory, providing a false sense of security while creating new liability. Here's what to omit. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2025-03-04; updated: 2026-06-24. - [Employee Handbooks: An Investment, Not Just an Expense (And Mistakes and Misperceptions to Avoid in Developing One)](https://polauflaw.com/insights/employee-handbooks/index.md): Employee handbooks are a strategic investment, not just a legal formality. This post covers common mistakes and misconceptions in developing them. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2025-02-24; updated: 2026-05-27. - [The HR Compliance Trap (Part 2): Why Employment Compliance Requires Attorneys, Not (Only) Administrators](https://polauflaw.com/insights/hr-compliance-trap-part-2/index.md): Part 2: Why true employment compliance requires attorneys, not just HR administrators, and the risks businesses take by substituting one for the other. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2025-02-21; updated: 2026-06-09. - [The HR Compliance Trap: How the ABA Failed to Protect Businesses from Unauthorized Legal Practice](https://polauflaw.com/insights/hr-compliance-trap/index.md): How the ABA's regulatory failures have left businesses exposed to unauthorized legal practice in the HR compliance space, and why it matters. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2025-02-18; updated: 2026-06-09. - [Front-Loading Sick Time: The Silver Lining for Employers in Connecticut’s New Paid Sick Leave Law](https://polauflaw.com/insights/frontloading-sick-time/index.md): Connecticut's 2025 paid sick leave amendments create new burdens, but front-loading offers employers simplified administration and cost control. Author: Stephen Polauf. Published: 2025-02-10; updated: 2026-05-27. ## Tools and reference material - [CT Paid Sick Leave Calculator](https://polauflaw.com/ct-sick-leave-calculator/index.md): Free tool for Connecticut employers: calculate the prorated frontloaded paid sick leave hours for new hires under the 2025 CT Paid Sick Leave law. - [Legal Glossary](https://polauflaw.com/glossary/index.md): Definitions of common employment law terms and concepts for Connecticut employers and employees. - [FAQ](https://polauflaw.com/faq/index.md): Frequently asked questions about working with Polauf Law LLC: consultations, fees, retainers, deadlines, and whether you have a viable claim. - [Resources](https://polauflaw.com/resources/index.md): Explore the Polauf Law Blog, employment-law FAQs, media archive, client portal, and Connecticut paid sick leave calculator. - [Blog & Insights](https://polauflaw.com/insights/index.md): Employment law analysis and commentary from Connecticut attorney Stephen Polauf covering CT paid sick leave, HR compliance, employee handbooks, and more. ## Optional - [Expanded published content](https://polauflaw.com/llms-full.txt): The full text of the pages above, generated from the same published HTML, with source URLs and article dates. - [XML sitemap](https://polauflaw.com/sitemap-index.xml): Canonical pages for search discovery. - [RSS feed](https://polauflaw.com/rss.xml): Published employment-law articles.