Massachusetts has officially joined the growing list of states requiring employers to include salary ranges in job postings—but not until 2025. On July 31, 2024, Governor Maura Healey signed Bill H. 4890, “An Act relative to...more
On December 17, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit dissolved the nationwide stay of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) that...more
12/22/2021
/ Appeals ,
Compliance Dates ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Masks ,
Order to Lift Stay ,
OSHA ,
Petition for Writ of Certiorari ,
Stays ,
Temporary Regulations ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On October 28, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a new rule, effective December 28, 2021, that limits the amount of time tipped employees can spend on non-tipped activities when the employer receives a tip...more
11/10/2021
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Food Service Workers ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Job Duties ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Rules ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
On June 12, U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas upheld a policy established by Houston Methodist Hospital that requires employees to be vaccinated against...more
6/15/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hospitals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Religious Exemption ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
With the FDA’s recent approval of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee’s Advisory Council’s scheduled vote of today on the use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine...more
On September 11, 2020, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) promulgated revised regulations clarifying workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act’s (“FFCRA”) paid leave...more
Bob Young will be speaking at the webinar, “Legal aspects of returning high-risk employees to work in Massachusetts” hosted by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.
Panelists will cover a wide range of topics, including:
-...more
9/3/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Best Practices ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health and Safety ,
High Risk Covid Employees ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Job Duties ,
Remote Working ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Webinars ,
Workplace Safety
The Order Superseding his previous travel advisory, Governor Baker has issued Executive Order No. 45, mandating that all travelers to Massachusetts must complete a Travel Form and quarantine for 14 days after arriving in...more
With summer vacation season upon us and many businesses beginning the process of reopening, many employers are now dealing with employees leaving Massachusetts to travel out of state, potentially to areas of the country that...more
7/14/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Policies ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Governor Baker ,
Health and Safety ,
New Guidance ,
Quarantine ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Vacation Leave ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On May 18, 2020, Governor Baker outlined a Four Phase Reopening Plan for Massachusetts. Beginning on May 25, 2020, certain businesses – including manufacturing, construction, laboratories, hair salons, and general office...more
Beginning May 26, 2020, employers with more than 10 employees must undertake a reasonable investigation to determine if an employee’s diagnosis of COVID-19 is work-related and recordable under the Occupational Safety and...more
Earlier this week, the Department of Labor issued additional guidance on the unemployment benefits modifications contained in the CARES Act. This guidance includes Questions and Answers that directly address employers’...more
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently provided “Return to Work” guidance for employers. In the days since, the EEOC has continued to update the Guidance. In one of the more significant developments, the...more
The U.S. Department of Labor issued a Temporary Rule on April 1 providing further guidance with respect to the paid leave available under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the “FFCRA”). ...more
On March 31, 2020, Governor Baker extended his March 23, 2020 order mandating the temporary closure of all “non-essential” workplaces through May 4, 2020 (the “Order”). In addition, as of noon on April 1, 2020, Exhibit A to...more
On March 28, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a third set of FAQs concerning the Paid Sick leave and Paid FMLA laws that take effect on April 1st, supplementing earlier FAQs released on March 24 and March 26. The third...more
On March 23, 2020, Governor Baker issued an order mandating the temporary closure of all “non-essential” workplaces beginning at noon on March 24, 2020 and continuing through noon on April 7, 2020 (the “Order”). Exhibit A of...more
Employers across the United States continue to respond to and implement guidance from public health authorities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Both the rapid spread of the virus and the prolonged incubation period...more
3/23/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Emergency Response ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Paid Leave ,
Sick Employees ,
Sick Leave ,
State of Emergency ,
Virus Testing ,
Wage and Hour ,
WARN Act
President Trump has signed into law a revised version of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) that was passed initially by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 14, 2020, revised on March 16, 2020, and...more
On March 14, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” by a vote of 363-40. The Bill now moves to the Senate and then, if passed, for signature by President Trump....more
3/17/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Response ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
HDHPs ,
Paid Leave ,
Pending Legislation ,
Sick Leave ,
State of Emergency ,
Tax Credits ,
Unemployment Insurance ,
Wage and Hour
On May 1, 2019, the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) issued guidance and announced changes to two key deadlines concerning the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law....more
On December 1, the United States Department of Labor appealed the issuance of a preliminary injunction that blocked the implementation of its Final Rule that redefined the wage test for overtime exemptions under the Fair...more
On November 22, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a preliminary injunction that blocks the implementation of the United States Department of Labor’s Final Rule that redefined the wage...more