On November 3, 2017, Maine Governor Paul LePage announced that he had vetoed a bill sent to his desk with tepid support that would have taxed and regulated the commercial sale of recreational marijuana. The veto prolongs a...more
Massachusetts employers are reminded that, per legislation signed by Governor Charlie Baker in July 2016, qualifying veterans scheduled to work on Veterans Day who wish to participate in Veterans Day activities in their...more
On September 19, 2017, the Rhode Island General Assembly approved a bill that would require, with limited exception, all Rhode Island employers with 18 or more employees to provide their employees with paid sick time. The...more
Last month, a Rhode Island trial court held that a hairdresser’s noncompetition agreement with the salon for which she had been working, which sold its assets to a successor salon, was not transferable to the successor...more
In a recently issued trial court decision, Callaghan v. Darlington Fabrics Corp., a Rhode Island Superior Court justice held that an employer could not deny employment to an applicant licensed under state law to possess and...more
An important provision in the recreational marijuana ballot initiative approved by Maine voters back in November has so far generated limited buzz among Maine employers, but they will need to pay closer attention now that key...more
On November 8, 2016, voters in several states passed medical or recreational marijuana measures each of which will likely impact employers. As this area of law is developing quickly, and since the Trump administration’s...more
The Massachusetts Legislature recently amended the General Laws of Massachusetts, Chapter 272 (M.G.L. ch. 272), to prohibit discrimination in places of public accommodation based on an individual’s gender identity. The...more
In the past few months, a number of state and local developments have emerged that are likely to resonate across the country. The following is a tour of some of the most recent and significant state-specific legislation,...more
On June 25, 2015, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed and Governor Gina M. Raimondo signed legislation making it an unlawful employment practice under the state’s Fair Employment Practices Act for an employer to refuse...more
On July 10, 2015, the Rhode Island General Assembly sent Governor Gina Raimondo a compromise measure (House Bill 5590/Senate Bill 351) that would allow Rhode Island employers—for the first time in the state’s history—to pay...more
On June 22, 2015, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo signed into law another increase to the state’s minimum wage. This marks the fourth straight year that Rhode Island has raised its minimum wage. Effective January 1,...more
On May 7, 2015, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (RI-DLT) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in which they agreed to...more
In one of his last acts as governor, former-Governor Deval Patrick signed into law on January 7, 2015 an amendment to the previous Massachusetts Maternity Leave Law that extends eight weeks of unpaid leave to both male and...more
A graduate student has filed suit with the help of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union against a textile manufacturer that allegedly rescinded an offer for a paid internship because the student is a...more
In addition to the restrictions on opening in certain New England states, retailers with stores in Massachusetts and Rhode Island should also be aware of their obligation to pay their employees holiday pay (i.e.,...more
Rhode Island has recently enacted legislation intended to protect job applicants’ and employees’ social media accounts and information. The new law prohibits employers from requiring job applicants or employees to disclose...more
On July 3, 2014, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee signed into law a measure that will raise the state’s minimum wage to $9.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2015. The legislation, which will increase the state’s minimum...more
The Rhode Island General Assembly is considering amending the state’s Fair Employment Practices Act (FEPA) to make it easier for employees to sue their employers for discrimination-based retaliation. Under FEPA, employees can...more
An employer failed to show that its former employees tortiously interfered with its current and prospective customers, even though they had been secretly operating a competing business while working for the employer. In...more
Could an employee be fired by his employer for actions he claimed were done in self-defense? In Leeds v. BAE Systems, No. 2012-599 (November 5, 2013), the New Hampshire Supreme Court found that he could where the employee’s...more
As of January 1, 2014, the minimum wage in Rhode Island will jump $0.25 to $8.00 per hour. This is the second time in as many years that the General Assembly has voted to raise the minimum wage. The last increase occurred in...more
On July 15, 2013, Rhode Island passed highly anticipated legislation that will allow employers to pay their employees on a bi-monthly basis (rather than weekly, as the law had previously required)....more
Rhode Island has joined a growing number of states that prohibit employers from inquiring on job applications about applicants’ criminal histories. Previously, Rhode Island law prevented employers from asking about arrests...more
New Temporary Caregiver Insurance Benefits Become Effective January 1, 2014 Beginning January 1, 2014, all employees regardless of their employer’s size will be eligible for up to four weeks of leave under the Temporary...more