Sec. 31-131. Fees. Receipt for fee. Agreements with applicant. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 31-131. Fees. Receipt for fee. Agreements with applicant. (a) If an applicant does not obtain or accept a situation or employment through the agency of a licensed person, such licensed person shall not be entitled to collect a fee from such applicant. If an applicant obtains or accepts a situation or employment through the agency of a licensed person but does not remain in the situation or employment for longer than ten weeks, the applicant shall then be entitled to a refund or adjustment of that part of the fee paid or owing which is greater than ten per cent of the amount he has received as remuneration for that employment. Each licensed person shall give, to each applicant from whom a fee or other valuable thing is received for procuring employment, a receipt in which shall be stated the name of the applicant, the amount of such fee or other valuable thing, and the date and the name and address of the person or persons with whom such employment was procured, and there shall be printed on its back, in the English language, a copy of this section. Each licensed person shall cause a plain and legibly printed copy of this section to be posted in a conspicuous place in such agency or place of business. The licensed person shall maintain and keep for at least a year a duplicate copy of each receipt issued by him.

      (b) No licensed person shall require any applicant to sign any document, agreement or paper setting forth the amount of the fee to be paid to the licensed person or the terms of payment of such fee except on such forms as have been approved by the commissioner as permitted by sections 31-129 to 31-131c, inclusive, and any document, agreement or paper made or executed contrary to the provisions of said sections shall be void and unenforceable both in law and equity. All conditions in any document, paper or agreement, which such applicant is requested to sign, shall be printed in no smaller than twelve point type, of standard width and standard weight. Such agreement shall contain only such terms and clauses for delinquent accounts or unpaid fees as are approved by the Labor Commissioner or, if suit is commenced, such costs and legal fees as are determined by the court. Any applicant who signs such a document, agreement or paper with a licensed person shall, at the time he signs, be given a duplicate copy of the same by the licensed person and such applicant shall not be bound by any terms or conditions except those contained therein. Such duplicate copy shall have printed on it or attached to it a copy of subsection (a) of this section, and a copy of the schedule of fees of such licensed person on file with the Labor Department.

      (1949 Rev., S. 3783; 1959, P.A. 640, S. 3; P.A. 73-461, S. 3, 8.)

      History: 1959 act changed receipt form, required retention of duplicate and prohibited collection of fee from person who does not accept or obtain a situation and required refund of portion of fee if situation accepted terminates after not more than 10 weeks where previously fee was to be refunded if position not found or accepted and fee was forfeited if position was accepted regardless of duration of employment and added provisions re contents of agreements, permissible charges, etc.; P.A. 73-461 divided section into Subsecs., deleted provision which had prohibited use of phrase "The Connecticut Free Public Employment Bureau" and deleted provisions added by 1959 act re permissible charges, etc., adding requirement that duplicate copy contain a copy of Subsec. (a) and a copy of fee schedule.

      Inapplicable to hiring by employment agency, when. 29 CS 490. Cited. 32 CS 79.