Seyfarth Synopsis: As Massachusetts has entered Step 1 of Phase 3, the Commonwealth has updated its reopening guidance for several sectors, including office spaces, lodging providers, laboratories, restaurants, manufacturing,...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Massachusetts will move to the second step of Phase II of the State’s reopening plan beginning yesterday, June 22. Updated COVID-19 guidance issued by the Baker Administration increases office occupancy...more
Earlier this month, Governor Baker announced that the state would undergo a multi-phased approach to re-opening Massachusetts businesses. During the second phase, subject to guidance and restrictions...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: As Massachusetts enters the first phase of reopening, the Massachusetts Office of Housing and Economic Development has provided updated guidance for retail businesses which sell non-essential goods. ...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On May 18, 2020, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker released the Reopening Massachusetts Plan created by the Reopening Advisory Board, providing further details on each of the four reopening phases....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: With the advent of the CARES Act, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has taken steps to implement Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a new measure aimed at providing unemployment insurance to gig economy...more
Across the nation, states have been stepping up to minimize legal risks to health care workers as they continue the fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic. Massachusetts became the most recent state to take steps to...more
4/21/2020
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employee Contributions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Baker ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Medical Leave ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Rate of Pay ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: On January 24, 2020, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination issued significant changes to its regulations regarding the processing of cases. The new procedural regulations are a mixed bag for...more
3/12/2020
/ Administrative Proceedings ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Discovery ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Investigations ,
Motion for Reconsideration ,
New Regulations ,
Probable Cause ,
Regulatory Burden ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State Labor Laws
Seyfarth Synopsis: On October 8th, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in a trio of cases that may decide whether Title VII prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In much of the...more
10/9/2019
/ Altitude Express Inc v Zarda ,
But For Causation ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
Hiring & Firing ,
LGBTQ ,
SCOTUS ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Title VII ,
Transgender ,
Wrongful Termination
Seyfarth Synopsis: The SJC issued two important decisions in April and early May. In early May, the SJC found that commission-only salespeople are entitled to additional compensation for overtime and Sunday work, even though...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: An important issue for colleges and universities is whether faculty are “managerial” employees under the National Labor Relations Act, and thus precluded from union organizing. ...more