Employer – Employment Law

U.S. Supreme Court will Decide whether Federal Anti-Discrimination Law Protects Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Employees

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has concluded gay marriage is a right protected by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, it is opting to take up the questions … more →

Legislature Considers Extending Discrimination Filing Period to 6 Years, other MCAD Changes

Bills under consideration by the Massachusetts Legislature could bring one major change and other lesser ones to discrimination law in Massachusetts. Under a bill proposed by six senators, the filing … more →

Recent SJC Decision Demonstrates Big Downside for Employers who Misapply Massachusetts Wage Laws, even in Good Faith

In a case that demonstrates the travails that sometimes plague employers who believe, at least, they are complying with Massachusetts wage laws, the Supreme Judicial Court recently decided that an … more →

Court Ruling Illustrates the Dangers Presented by a Poorly Drafted Employment Manual

In a case that illustrates the dangers employers face from poorly drafted employment manuals and from manuals that give a too many rights to their employees, a U.S. District Court … more →

Massachusetts Family and Medical Leave Regulations Impose New Paperwork and Contribution Burdens on Employers

With implementation of a tax under the recently enacted Massachusetts Family and Medical Leave Act less than five months away, the newly formed Department of Family and Medical Leave has … more →

In Case You Didn’t Know: Minimum Wage in Massachusetts is Now $12/Hour

For those either too busy to hear the news last July, or maybe just too forgetful to recall it, the minimum wage in Massachusetts rose to $12/hour on January 1, … more →

New Pregnancy Law Takes Effect April 1; Employers should have Written Policies in Place by Now

Effective on April 1, 2018, Massachusetts will institute its new pregnancy statute. The law brings broad new protections for pregnant employees, some of which benefit women after a child is … more →

Hiking of Minimum Wage to $15/Hour Makes its Way toward the Ballot Box for November 2018

Dissatisfied with the recent increase of the Massachusetts minimum wage to $11/hour and its failed efforts to get the state legislature to move the hourly rate to $15, a coalition … more →

With the New Equal Pay Act Set to Take Effect on July 1, 2018, it’s Time for Employers to Evaluate their Wage Practices

The effective date of the new Massachusetts Equal Pay Act is fast approaching, and employers who have not yet begun to evaluate wage disparities between men and women need to … more →

Massachusetts Law Continues to Protect against Gender Identity Discrimination Despite Federal Pronouncment

When Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently announced that his Justice Department rejects the idea that transgender people are protected under Title VII, the federal workplace discrimination statute, it received quick … more →