Massachusetts

As of Nov. 21, 2024, Massachusetts employees may use earned sick time to address physical and mental health needs following a pregnancy loss or failed

On September 6, 2024, the Appellate Division of the Massachusetts District Court held in Nunez v. Syncsort Incorporated that a retention bonus that the defendant-employer allegedly owed to the plaintiff, its former employee, did not constitute wages within the meaning of the Massachusetts Wage Act.

Massachusetts employers will enhance transparency by including pay range information in all job postings and advertisements. Additionally, employers will proactively provide pay range details to employees and applicants upon request, fostering a more open and equitable workplace.

The Massachusetts legislature has expanded the reasons employees can use Massachusetts Earned Sick Time through provisions in a larger bill entitled, “An Act Promoting Access to Midwifery Care and Out-of-Hospital Birth Options.” Employees may now use Massachusetts Earned Sick Time to “address the em

The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (Department) just announced the 2025 weekly benefit amount and contribution rates for both employers and employees under the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave benefit program, which is funded through a payroll tax.

The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave has announced changes to the employer contribution rates and benefit amounts under the Paid

In the ever-evolving landscape of employment law, a recent Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) opinion, Patel v. 7-Eleven, Inc. , has shed light on a critical question: When is a franchisee considered an employee of the franchisor? This question was at the heart of a case involving five franc

The Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) has published a revised workers’ compensation Notice to Employees, which Massachusetts employers should use starting September 16, 2024.

Massachusetts has enacted a new law imposing pay transparency and pay data reporting obligations on employers in the state. The law will take effect on July 31, 2025.

Massachusetts is the latest state to mandate salary transparency in job postings and disclosure of demographic and pay data to the government. On July 31, 2024, Governor Maura Healey signed into law the “Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act,” H.B. 4890 . The law is named after Frances Perkins, the f

On March 28, 2024, in Sutton v. Jordan’s Furniture, Inc., the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) upheld a Massachusetts Superior Court decision finding the furniture retailer’s commission-based compensation scheme violated the Massachusetts Wage Act for paying commission-based sales employee

On March 14, 2024, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed legislation that would add a new provision to the Massachusetts Consumer Protection law and would bar the use of true credit reports for employment purposes, i.e ., for the purpose of evaluating an individual for employment, promot

On January 31, 2024, in Mehra v. Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC, a Massachusetts Superior Court judge held that a percent-of-profit incentive payment under a profit-sharing scheme is not a commission subject to the Massachusetts Wage Act.

Under the Massachusetts prevailing wage law (and most prevailing wage laws around the country), construction contractors performing construction on state-funded construction projects are required to pay employees the prevailing wages set by the state for work on the project. In addition, contractors

The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) recently provided several significant updates related to the Commonwealth’s paid family and medical leave (PFML) program as 2023 comes to a close. Most recently, the DFML issued its updated 2024 notices, posters, and rate sheets. In the

After several years of evolving guidance, the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) has announced that starting November 1, 2023, employees who apply for paid family and medical leave (PFML) benefits directly through the state program will be able to supplement (or “top off”) t

Recent amendments to the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave law (PFML) now allow employees to supplement their weekly PFML benefit amount with accrued paid leave (vacation, sick time, PTO, etc.). PFML contribution rates and weekly benefits are also set to change. Topping off With Accrued Pa

The Massachusetts legislature has introduced a series of employment- and labor-related bills that, if enacted, will require employers across the Commonwealth to establish, revisit or revise policies and practices. In addition, there are certified ballot initiatives that, if they ultimately make it o

A recent ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in a restrictive covenant case, Ascend Learning, LLC v. Bryan and SPIN-Learning, LLC , No. 22-cv-11978 (August 16, 2023), has implications for the “material change” doctrine under Massachusetts law, the state’s prohibition

On July 11, 2023, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) declined to extend its early COVID-19 emergency orders to the time limits established for filing a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD).