Massachusetts law permits employers to pay inside salespeople on a commission only basis, provided that the employer guarantees at least the minimum wage for all regular hours worked. However, according to a recent decision...more
The Massachusetts legislature passed significant legislation (An Act Relative to Minimum Wage, Paid Family Medical Leave and the Sales Tax Holiday), which includes a number of important provisions impacting employers in...more
Click here for PDF No. The Act applies only to agreements entered into on or after October 1, 2018. Agreements entered into previously are unaffected. Pre-existing agreements do not need to be amended to comply with the new...more
As we have noted in previous Quick Studies, Massachusetts has a new non-competition law and today is the day it becomes effective. As a reminder, the key terms of this new statute are as follows:...more
In request for an opinion with potentially significant impacts for every Massachusetts employer who pays commissions to employees, Judge Richard G. Stearns of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts...more
We are writing to let you know that the Massachusetts legislature has indeed passed new non-compete legislation. The law has been forwarded to Gov. Charlie Baker, who now has ten days in which to decide whether or not to...more
As the current legislative session in Massachusetts winds to a close, legislation regulating non-competition agreements is again in the legislative oven. Whether it will be baked before the session wraps up remains to be...more
The Massachusetts legislature last week passed significant legislation (“An Act Relative to Minimum Wage, Paid Family Medical Leave and the Sales Tax Holiday”) which includes a number of important provisions impacting...more
As you undoubtedly know, the amendments to the Massachusetts Equal pay Act (“MEPA”), effective July 1, provide that “[n]o employer shall discriminate in any way on the basis of gender in the payment of wages, or pay any...more
This is a quick reminder that in Massachusetts, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act will become effective on April 1. In essence, the MPWFA forbids those who employ six or more employees from denying reasonable accommodations...more
A recent opinion of federal Judge Timothy Hillman sends a message to employers in Massachusetts that providing references on behalf of former employees is a dangerous practice.
In Soni v. Wespiser et al, Judge Hillman...more
Massachusetts may soon enact The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which Speaker Robert DeLeo has identified as a priority. It recently won the approval of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, which unanimously...more
Please join us on March 22 at noon Eastern Time for a 30 minute webinar presented by James Céspedes and Steven Adelman about the applicability of OSHA to your business. James and Steve will tell you all that you need to know...more
Drafting Employment Applications in Massachusetts -
Massachusetts Job Application Requirements -
Several Massachusetts laws govern the information that employers must include in their written job applications....more
1/26/2017
/ At-Will Employment ,
Background Checks ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Employee Restrooms ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Minimum Wage ,
Religious Discrimination ,
Sealed Records ,
Transgender ,
Wage and Hour
On January 13, 2017, the Supreme Court agreed to consider whether employee arbitration agreements containing class/collective action waivers are unlawful and unenforceable. The Court’s decision to consider this issue portends...more
1/18/2017
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Class Action ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Collective Actions ,
Ernst & Young ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
Murphy Oil USA ,
NLRA ,
NLRB
On November 22, 2016, a Texas federal district court judge issued an order preliminarily enjoining the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new overtime regulations. As a result, the regulations will not go into effect on December 1st...more
Please join us for another of Locke Lord’s informative live webinars: a practical overview of employment agreements around the globe. On December 7th, our panel of speakers will discuss key aspects of employment agreements,...more
11/22/2016
/ Arbitration ,
Choice-of-Law ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Employment Contract ,
Forum Selection ,
International Labor Laws ,
Non-Disparagement Provisions ,
Post-Termination Acts ,
Severance Agreements ,
Venue ,
Webinars
Please join us for an informative live webinar series that will provide a practical overview of employment and severance agreements around the globe. On October 19th, our panel of speakers will discuss the various federal and...more
When an employer is put on notice of workplace sexual harassment, it must take adequate steps to investigate and take proper remedial action or risk punitive damages. That is the import of a recent ruling by the...more
Among the bills to emerge from the scrum that marked the end of the Massachusetts legislative session last month was a beefed-up Pay Equity Act. The new Act, which takes effect on July 1, 2018, replaces the state’s previous...more
Please join us for an informative live webinar that will provide a practical overview of restrictive covenants around the globe. Our panel of speakers, representing seven time zones, will provide a brief overview of the law...more
On April 7, 2015, the Massachusetts Parental Leave Act will take effect. The Parental Leave Act, signed into law on January 7, 2015 by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, expands parental leave rights for employees in...more