In Massachusetts On July 31, 2024, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy signed into law An Act Relative to Salary Range Transparency, which will require certain Massachusetts employers to make changes to their compensation practices. Massachusetts has joined states who have similar laws like New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Washington, Illinois, and most recently New Jersey. […]
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U.S. Department of Labor’s Overtime Rule Blocked Nationwide
On November 15, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide order blocking the implementation of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) new overtime rule. The new rule, which would have expanded overtime pay for millions of U.S. employees, will no longer go into effect on January 1, 2025, […]
Permissible Uses for Earned Sick Time Expand in Massachusetts
Employers are likely familiar with the basic workings of the Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Statute, which entitles most workers in the Commonwealth to earn and use up to 40 hours of job-protected sick time (EST) per year to take care of themselves and certain family members due to illness or injury. Under a 2024 law […]
Is a Retention Bonus Considered a “Wage” in Massachusetts?
Recently we were treated to a rare example of a court’s analysis of the Massachusetts Wage Act (G.L. c. 149, § 148), which imposes strict penalties on employers for late payment of wages. The Act subjects employers to penalties equal to treble damages plus attorneys’ fees for each violation of the Act—whether the payment is […]
The Dangers of Distracted Driving
Distracted driving – which involves anything that takes your eyes or attention off the road – is a significant contributing factor to automobile accidents. Distracted driving can be deadly; not only for the person driving and their passengers, but every nearby driver, pedestrian, road worker, and bicyclist. In fact, the CDC reports that nine people […]
