The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (the “MCAD”) recently issued updated guidance (here and here) on the Massachusetts Parental Leave Act (“MPLA”), signaling that the MPLA still plays an important role in the...more
7/21/2023
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Leave ,
New Guidance ,
Paid Leave ,
Parental Leave ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
Now that OSHA has withdrawn its vaccine or test rule, many employers are considering the use of mandatory vaccination policies in their workplaces. Employers have met this development with varied responses – some employers...more
Happy New Year! While many of us are thrilled to see 2020 in the rear view, 2021 ushers in a huge challenge for Massachusetts employers – the beginning of benefits and Job protections under the Massachusetts Paid Family and...more
The Department of Family and Medical Leave (the “Department”) has provided several updates and reminders to Massachusetts employers and employees regarding Massachusetts’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (“PFML”), and we want...more
Earlier this spring, the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (the “Department”) issued revised regulations for Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (“MAPFML”). The regulations impact employers...more
Under the Massachusetts Paid Family Leave Law, M.G.L. c. 175M (“MAPFML”), employees and other covered individuals in the Commonwealth will be entitled to a generous set of new leave benefits and rights beginning January 1,...more
As management and human resources professionals are well aware, COVID-19 has drastically and rapidly impacted the workplace. Among other things, employees require more flexibility, employers are increasingly reliant upon...more
Under the new Massachusetts Paid Family Leave Law, M.G.L c. 175M (“MAPFML”) employees and other covered individuals in the Commonwealth will be entitled to a generous set of new leave benefits and rights beginning January 1,...more
On the heels of the welcome news that employers have three more months to prepare for Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (“MAPFML”), last week the Massachusetts Department of Paid Family and Medical Leave (the...more
In the employment world, April showers bring regulatory updates impacting employers and employees throughout the country. We’ve provided brief updates below, along with links to our other posts providing more detail on each...more
4/15/2019
/ Association Health Plans ,
COBRA ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Excise Tax ,
Grandfathering Rules ,
Hiring & Firing ,
IRS ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Public Comment ,
Tax Exempt Entities ,
White-Collar Exemptions
“Ban the Box” laws prohibit or limit an employer’s ability to ask a job applicant about his or her criminal record. States, counties and cities have enacted this legislation to help applicants with criminal records combat...more
With the summer kicking off, it is a good opportunity for employers to review and refresh their employment practices to ensure compliance with developments on the federal, state and legal landscape. This Bubbler Post will...more
6/7/2018
/ Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Local Ordinance ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Now that January has come to an end, and we’ve navigated compliance with our own resolutions and employment obligations (as discussed on our latest post on The Bubbler), we’re going to take a look at a few topics of...more
2/8/2018
/ Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Local Ordinance ,
New Legislation ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Employers often struggle over compliance with state wage deduction laws, and these potential violations carry with them considerable penalties. In Massachusetts, for example, employers face triple damages for violations of...more
Harassment has long been an Achilles’ heel of the workplace. Believe it or not, like the NCAA’s tournament TV ratings, the number of harassment-related lawsuits has held rather steady since the 1990s! And like most NCAA...more
3/16/2017
/ Cyber Crimes ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Harassment ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Managers ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Social Media ,
Supervisors
This morning Punxsutawney Phil told us that we are facing six more weeks of winter. Great. We thought it served as a good opportunity to remind employers of the importance of establishing inclement weather policies that are...more
Last month, a California state appellate court issued a decision that, as the dissent characterized, went “where no one has gone before.” In Castro-Ramirez v. Dependable Highway Express, Inc., the court held that...more