The Massachusetts Wage Act, which provides plaintiffs with triple damages and attorneys’ fees for successful unpaid wage claims, also applies to commissions. M.G.L. c. 149, s. 148 states: This section shall apply, so far as apt, to the payment of…
Claims under the Massachusetts Wage Act can sometimes be brought as class actions. This usually makes sense when there is a common policy or practice of the employer that affects many employees in a similar way. There are many examples…
I previously wrote about the general issue of the misclassification of employees as independent contractors. This is a hot topic these days in employment litigation in Massachusetts. In this article, I want to focus briefly on the Massachusetts independent contractor…
The basic rule regarding final pay in Massachusetts is this: 1) An employee who is terminated involuntarily must be paid in full on the day of discharge. 2) An employee who quits a job can be paid on the next…
The sharing of employee tips has led to a fair amount of controversy in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Tip Act, M.G.L. c. 149, s. 152A, sets forth employees’ rights to tips and service charges. Here are the basic details: Employees are…
Updated September 3, 2025 Contrary to most workers, those who qualify as “transportation workers” cannot be forced into arbitration because of hidden fine print. Other workers can be forced to sign an agreement to get and keep a job, and…