On July 1, 2018 the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act (“MEPA”) went into effect, which combats gender-based pay disparities within Massachusetts. The goal of MEPA is to ensure fairness and equity in the workplace while clarifying what constitutes unlawful wage discrimination. With its more liberal application and multiple damages, employers must become aware of the implications…
POSTED IN: Articles & Quotes, Employment Law
RIW employment attorney Dave Robinson quoted in Boston Globe article on Massachusetts’ new pay equity law: Full article.
POSTED IN: Articles & Quotes, Employment Law
On June 28, 2018, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill into law (H 4640) that will alter workplace pay and benefits for employers and employees across the state. Below is a synopsis of the bill: Hourly Minimum Wage Increases. Hourly wages will increase progressively from $11 to $15 per hour by 2023. It is estimated…
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If your company has more than five employees with health insurance from Masshealth or Connect Care, you should be aware of new assessments levied by the state. Last week, many employers received a new bill from the Department of Unemployment Assistance (“DUA”), which implemented the first assessments under the supplemental employer medical assistance contribution program (“EMAC”)….
POSTED IN: Articles & Quotes, At Your Service, Employment Law
Massachusetts Lodging Association and Ruberto, Israel & Weiner Present: “Best Management Practices for Hotel Operators” – A Hotel & Lodging Industry Breakfast and Panel Discussion Featuring Industry Operators and Legal Advisors. The event will be taking place on December 7th at the Omni Parker House Hotel. RIW Commercial Real Estate & Hospitality Licensing attorney Adam Barnosky…
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RIW attorney Dave Robinson will speak at the 2017 National Retail Tenants Association National Conference starting on Sunday, September 24th at the New Orleans Marriott in New Orleans, LA. More information.
POSTED IN: Employment Law, Events
In a landmark decision published on Monday, July 17, 2017, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruled that medical marijuana use may constitute a reasonable accommodation, overturning an employer’s termination of an employee for failing a drug test due to her use of medicinal marijuana. This is the first state court to require employers to…
POSTED IN: Articles & Quotes, Employment Law
On May 21, 2016, the US Department of Labor (DOL) issued new overtime regulations that increased the salary threshold for certain exempt employees, increasing it from $455 per week (or $23,660 per year) to $913 per week (or $47,476 per year). These changes were to be effective on December 1, 2016. However, on November 22,…
POSTED IN: Employment Law, News
In August, Governor Charlie Baker signed the comprehensive pay equity bill into law which was unanimously passed by both the Massachusetts House and Senate (the “Equal Pay Act”). The new law amends Massachusetts’ equal pay law, which was originally passed in 1945. The bill is designed to better define comparable work and to ensure that…
POSTED IN: Articles & Quotes, At Your Service, Employment Law, Hospitality Practice Group, News
Substance abuse negatively affects employers through lost productivity, absenteeism, low morale, higher turnover, increased accidents and increased health costs. The Working Partners Report, a study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, and the SBA, and Office of National Drug Policy Control, estimates that 38 percent to 50 percent of all workers compensation claims are related to substance…
POSTED IN: Articles & Quotes, Employment Law
