On September 13, 2024, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (the “SJC”) ruled that the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (the “Act”) does not guarantee the accrual of benefits such as sick leave, vacation...more
The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (the “Department”) recently issued two updates to Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (“MA PFML”). The first update, effective November 1, 2023, offers...more
WARN Act compliance is evergreen. Recent tech layoffs provide an important reminder of WARN’s importance for all employers contemplating one. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (“WARN”) is a federal law...more
The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (the “Department”) has announced that, effective January 1, 2023, the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (MAPFML) contribution rate for employers with 25 or...more
For the first time since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are implementing a new wave of layoffs, particularly in the tech world, and it is anticipated that there are more to come as recession worries loom. ...more
UPDATE: The U.S. Supreme Court held a special hearing on January 7, 2022, and is expected to rule soon on whether OSHA may proceed with its Emergency Temporary Standard for large employers. The Court is also considering...more
Happy New Year! While many of us are thrilled to see 2020 in the rear view, 2021 ushers in a huge challenge for Massachusetts employers – the beginning of benefits and Job protections under the Massachusetts Paid Family and...more
The Department of Family and Medical Leave (the “Department”) has provided several updates and reminders to Massachusetts employers and employees regarding Massachusetts’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (“PFML”), and we want...more
Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, many employer telecommuting arrangements remain in place, with several large corporations opting to extend these arrangements well into 2021. The benefits of such arrangements have been...more
10/20/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Earned Sick Time ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Income Taxes ,
Paid Leave ,
Remote Working ,
Sick Leave ,
Tax Planning ,
Telecommuting ,
Wage and Hour
Earlier this spring, the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (the “Department”) issued revised regulations for Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (“MAPFML”). The regulations impact employers...more
Under the Massachusetts Paid Family Leave Law, M.G.L. c. 175M (“MAPFML”), employees and other covered individuals in the Commonwealth will be entitled to a generous set of new leave benefits and rights beginning January 1,...more
With the reopening of the economy on the horizon, employers are looking ahead to welcoming employees back to the traditional workplace. Business operations will look vastly different during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In...more
With the reopening of the economy on the horizon, employers are looking ahead to welcoming employees back to the traditional workplace. Business operations will look vastly different during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In...more
Facing the many challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are considering their obligations to their workforce in the event of a reduction in force related to COVID-19 (“COVID-19”). This post provides an overview...more
In our recent blog post, we discussed the effects that the coronavirus has on the workforce, and what employers should, or should not do in response to a virus outbreak. In light of the coronavirus’s continued impact on the...more
The recent outbreak of the Coronavirus in Wuhan, China, which has spread to the United States with new cases being reported every day, has the global community on high alert. The Coronavirus is an upper-respiratory disease...more
1/28/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Travel ,
Medical Examinations ,
OSHA ,
Risk Management ,
Sick Leave ,
Workplace Safety
Employers in the Commonwealth are fast discovering that the new Massachusetts Paid Family Leave Law, M.G.L c. 175M (“MAPFML”), which begins to phase into effect June 30, 2019, asks much of employers, both administratively...more
5/23/2019
/ Covered Entities ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Contributions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exemptions ,
Governor Baker ,
Medical Leave ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Proposed Regulation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
In our last blog post on Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (“MAPFML”), we reviewed the Department of Family and Medical Leave’s (the “Department”) draft regulations published in January 2019 and outlined some of the...more
4/12/2019
/ Disability Benefits ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Medical Leave ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Staffing Agencies ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Over the past five years, parental leave policies have become increasingly commonplace among employers. Such policies are important tools for recruiting and retaining talented employees, and are important components of a...more
1/7/2019
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Medical Leave ,
Paid Leave ,
Parental Leave ,
PDA ,
Title VII ,
Wage and Hour
Earlier this month, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued updated model disclosure forms required under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The updated “Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit...more
Employers in Massachusetts are watching closely as a non-compete bill was recently passed by the Legislature and is now on Governor Baker’s desk. Currently slated to take effect on October 1, 2018, the law will significantly...more
Now that the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) went into effect April 1, 2018, it is time for employers to confirm that they are taking steps to ensure compliance with the PWFA....more
4/6/2018
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Parental Leave ,
Pregnancy ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
State Labor Laws
Employers beware. A recent case serves as a reminder as we wind down the calendar year that employers should closely review their policies and procedures applying to employees paid on a 100% commission or draw basis. In Stein...more