Massachusetts Employment Law Blog

hbr article flex work policies. Liz Kislik does it again, with a terrific article in Harvard Business Review on flexible work policies: Creating flex work policies when everyone has different needs She works through a set of best practices for creating policies that take into account real employee needs and align them with an employers…

California leads the way. 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…

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. Governor Baker signed an emergency law extending Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick…

Employment – Retaliation – Title VII – Whistleblower September 21, 2021: (View Article) Understanding Employment Retaliation: What You Need to Know Employment retaliation occurs when an employer takes adverse action against an employee for engaging in legally protected activities. These activities can include filing a complaint about workplace discrimination, reporting unsafe working conditions, or participating…

Long covid may be a qualifying. 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:  Guidance long covid disability If long COVID substantially limits one or more of…

To Vaccinate or not to vaccinate. 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…

Battle over country club’s ‘service charge’ plays out March 5, 2021: (View Article) The Ongoing Battle Over Country Club Service Charges: What’s at Stake? In recent months, a battle over country club service charges has been making waves across the country, sparking debates between club management, members, and legal experts. The controversy stems from rising…

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) Gordon Quoted in Lawyers Weekly: Key Insights on the Tips Case Before the Supreme Judicial…

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. 1st Circuit Reopens Door to $11M Severance…