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
Effective November 1, 2023, the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (the “Department”) required employers to permit an employee, in the employee’s sole discretion, to supplement or “top off” their...more
Massachusetts has passed into law An Act Relative to Salary Range Transparency (the “Act”), which means that pay transparency and pay data reporting requirements will soon become official. In advance of the effective dates...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
Bereavement leave policies generally aim to provide employees with paid leave following the death of a family member. These policies, however, often fail to acknowledge the grief that employees experience upon a fertility...more
The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (the “MCAD”) recently issued updated guidance (here and here) on the Massachusetts Parental Leave Act (“MPLA”), signaling that the MPLA still plays an important role in the...more
7/21/2023
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Leave ,
New Guidance ,
Paid Leave ,
Parental Leave ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
In the past several years, there has been significant movement in the non-competition space in a number of states (with change on the federal level potentially on the horizon). One such place with significant movement has...more
The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (the “Department”) has issued a series of updates concerning Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (“MAPFML”). These updates reflect the latest changes made to...more
Now that OSHA has withdrawn its vaccine or test rule, many employers are considering the use of mandatory vaccination policies in their workplaces. Employers have met this development with varied responses – some employers...more
The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (the “Department”) has issued a number of changes relating to the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (“MAPFML”) since their last quarterly briefing. A number...more
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker recently signed legislation requiring employers to provide COVID-19 emergency paid sick leave (“COVID-19 EPSL”) to employees who are unable to work for COVID-19-related reasons. In this...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
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
As management and human resources professionals are well aware, COVID-19 has drastically and rapidly impacted the workplace. Among other things, employees require more flexibility, employers are increasingly reliant upon...more
Under the new Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical 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 paid family and medical leave...more
Under the new 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 paid leave benefits and rights beginning...more
June was a busy month for state legislators, courts and the President.
On May 31, 2019, in Stein v. Blankfein, et al., the Delaware Court of Chancery reaffirmed the Delaware Supreme Court’s holding in In re: Investors...more
7/11/2019
/ Board of Directors ,
Business Judgment Rule ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
DE Supreme Court ,
Entire Fairness Standard ,
Equal Pay ,
Executive Compensation ,
Governor Cuomo ,
NYSHRL ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Under the new 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
On the heels of the welcome news that employers have three more months to prepare for Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (“MAPFML”), last week the Massachusetts Department of Paid Family and Medical Leave (the...more
In the employment world, April showers bring regulatory updates impacting employers and employees throughout the country. We’ve provided brief updates below, along with links to our other posts providing more detail on each...more
4/15/2019
/ Association Health Plans ,
COBRA ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Excise Tax ,
Grandfathering Rules ,
Hiring & Firing ,
IRS ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Public Comment ,
Tax Exempt Entities ,
White-Collar Exemptions
“Ban the Box” laws prohibit or limit an employer’s ability to ask a job applicant about his or her criminal record. States, counties and cities have enacted this legislation to help applicants with criminal records combat...more
With the summer kicking off, it is a good opportunity for employers to review and refresh their employment practices to ensure compliance with developments on the federal, state and legal landscape. This Bubbler Post will...more
6/7/2018
/ Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Local Ordinance ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Now that January has come to an end, and we’ve navigated compliance with our own resolutions and employment obligations (as discussed on our latest post on The Bubbler), we’re going to take a look at a few topics of...more
2/8/2018
/ Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Local Ordinance ,
New Legislation ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour