On July 1, 2018, the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act goes into effect and all Massachusetts employers must pay their employees’ wages on an equal basis without regard to gender. With this effective date fast approaching, employers must take immediate steps to comply with this new law.
On July 8, 2018, New Hampshire will add gender identity to its list of protected statuses under its state anti-discrimination statute, RSA 354-A. New Hampshire law presently protects individuals from discrimination in employment, public and housing accommodation on the basis of age, sex, race, creed, color, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability and national origin.
One question that comes up in my practice is whether accrued but unused sick time is considered “wages” under Massachusetts law and if an employer must pay a terminated employee such unused sick time upon termination.
For several years, the U.S. Department of Labor ceased issuance of opinion letters, which provided guidance to employers and employees covered by the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) regarding wage and hour violations. On June 27, 2017, Secretary Acosta announced that the opinion letter is making a comeback!
In about a year (July 1, 2018), the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act will go into effect. Employers must take steps now to become compliant with this new law.
A Free Seminar at Salem State University on May 18, 8:30 am - 10:30 am
Within the last year, Massachusetts enacted several new laws that will affect businesses. Many of these laws went into effect on or before January 1, 2017.
With only days remaining before its implementation, a federal court judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction on November 22, 2016, to delay the U.S. Department of Labor’s regulation changes in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
While many businesses establish sexual harassment or discrimination policies, many employees do not understand the details of their workplace policies. This is an important topic when you consider the number of discrimination charges filed at the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC)…
Many “start-ups” often spend a majority of their time developing concepts and ideas, hiring employees and they forget to address certain legal issues that will often raise roadblocks down the road when they start to market and establish their businesses after the start-up phase.