Massachusetts Employment Law Blog

In an increasingly broad effort to uncover unlawful acts in the workplace, California now prohibits severance agreements that restrict an employee’s right to disclose unlawful acts of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in the workplace. The “Silenced No More Act” will eliminate secret settlements often used to cover up cases of sexual harassment and discrimination by…

New York City Council passes six bills today protecting gig economy workers. The legislation, all expected to be signed by Mayor de Blasio, provide sweeping protections for delivery drivers and hotel workers. The bills include new requirements for minimum pay, bathroom access, distance and route limits, recordkeeping, requirements to provide insulated food deliver bags, and…

Governor Baker signed an emergency law extending Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave to April 1, 2022. The law also expands the reasons for taking leave to now include taking care of family members who need vaccinations or are recovering from a vaccination.

Employment – Retaliation – Title VII – Whistleblower September 21, 2021: (View Article)

Some welcome news for employees now struggling with “long COVID”:  the EEOC has just announced that long COID may be a disability under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act:  https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/civil-rights-covid19/guidance-long-covid-disability/index.html If long COVID substantially limits one or more of your major life activities, you may be entitled to…

Our office gets calls every day from workers with concerns.  The short answer is, yes, under most circumstances your employer can require vaccination.  Typically, the mandate must be job related and consistent with business necessity.  This can include a requirement that an individual “not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of individuals…

Battle over country club’s ‘service charge’ plays out March 5, 2021: (View Article)

Philip Gordon was quoted in an article published in Lawyers Weekly concerning a Supreme Court case that will decide whether wait staff are entitled to tips under a practice that collected charges from patrons as a “service charge.”  (view article)

Last week, the First Circuit vacated an order of the Federal District Court that found against a Gordon Law Group executive.  The victory was the subject of an article today in Lawyers Weekly (view article). If you are an executive evaluating your severance package, give us a call.

The “grand bargain” tucked into the Economic Stimulus package will bring some changes to hourly wage ruled rules, phasing out the holiday premium pay by 2023 and broadening the definition of “wait staff employee” covered by the Wage Act.  Under the new laws, employers will no longer be required to pay higher wages to employees…