Medical Marijuana In The Workplace
The Massachusetts SJC recently issued a ruling finding that if a medical marijuana user is an individual with a handicap or disability then that individual may assert a claim for handicap discrimination under Massachusetts state law. The court held that [...]
Court finds anti-gay discrimination is a form of sex discrimination prohibited under Title VII
Massachusetts anti-discrimination laws explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. However, most other state laws and the Federal anti-discrimination law do not explicitly provide for protections based on sexual orientation. This may soon change. In a recent Seventh Circuit decision, [...]
Massachusetts Minimum Wage Changes
Effective January 1, 2017, the minimum wage in Massachusetts is increasing from $10.00 to $11.00 per hour. The minimum rate for tipped service employees is also increasing, from $3.35 to $3.75 per hour. This “service rate” only applies to workers [...]
Massachusetts Equal Pay Act / A Law to Prevent Gender Discrimination and Gender Pay Disparity in the Workplace
On August 1, 2016, Massachusetts’ Equal Pay Act was amended in order to ensure that all workers in Massachusetts are:1) paid equally for comparable work performed, and: 2) provided the opportunity to earn competitive salaries in the workplace. This [...]
My Employer Fired Me – Can I Still Collect My Commissions?
Under Massachusetts law, employees are entitled to their commission if at the time of the termination, the commission is calculable and all of the requirements to close the sale have been completed. A commission plan that states the employee must [...]
Outside Salesperson – Are you entitled to overtime pay?
Many salespeople are paid by commission only and are not paid overtime or any other wages. This is only permitted if the salesperson qualifies under an FLSA exemption. There are several exemptions from the FLSA such as executive, administrative, outside [...]