“I don’t think my boss is paying me minimum wage. But he fired the last guy who complained about his hourly pay rate. I don’t want to rock the boat – I can’t afford to lose my job.”
Massachusetts is on a path to increase its minimum wage to $15.00 per hour by January 2023. To reach that goal, the minimum wage increased to $13.50 per hour for work beginning January 1, 2021. There are very few exceptions to this rule. Typical exceptions include:
• Tipped and Service Employees – these employees can earn $5.55 per hour (as of January 1, 2021, and increasing to $6.75 per hour by January 2023), as long as they earn at least $20.00 per month in tips and their employer follows the Tip Pooling Statute.
• Employees in training – persons in training can be paid less than minimum wage, if their employer follows specific guidelines.
However, under any other circumstance, an employee must be paid $8.00 per hour. Failure to do so is a violation of the Massachusetts Wage Act and the employee can be compensated with treble damages and attorney fees.
If you were not fully compensated at least with minimum wage, contact us today.
This information is not a do-it-yourself guide to resolving employment disputes or handling employment litigation. While some may find this useful for understanding the basic issues and their legal context, it is NOT a substitute for experienced legal counsel and does not provide legal advice. Please contact the team at Gordon Law Group to discuss your specific case.
