The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, answering a certified question, has ruled that five 7-Eleven franchisees were independent contractors, not misclassified “employees,” under the Massachusetts Independent Contractor...more
During 2024 we have reported on several high-profile cases that have challenged wage-related regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor – including tips, independent contractors, and the white-collar exemptions to the...more
9/17/2024
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Biden Administration ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EAP ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo ,
Minimum Salary ,
Statutory Authority ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
In our most recent bulletin on the new Final Rule increasing salary levels for exempt white-collar employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act, we noted that there was an additional challenge to the new regulations and that...more
The new salary level regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor will take effect July 1. On that date, the salary threshold for white-collar exemptions from the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act...more
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued final regulations that increase the minimum salary level needed for the white-collar exemption and the annual compensation threshold needed to be considered a Highly Compensated...more
On January 9, the U.S. Department of Labor issued its Final Rule addressing how to determine whether a worker is properly classified as an “employee” or as an “independent contractor” under the Fair Labor Standards Act. ...more
Yesterday the U.S. Department of Labor issued a Final Rule addressing how to determine whether a worker is properly classified as an “employee” or an “independent contractor” under the Fair Labor Standards Act....more
Changes have been made to the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act, one of which will take effect on November 1.
The PFMLA, which took effect on January 1, 2021, generally provides parents and caregivers the...more
On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Helix Energy Solutions, Group, Inc. v. Hewitt, deciding that a supervisor who was paid a daily rate and earned more than $200,000 a year was not exempt...more
On Tuesday, we published a bulletin noting that the U.S. Department of Labor had issued proposed regulations on determining whether a worker was an “employee” or an “independent contractor” for purposes of the federal Fair...more
Tuesday morning, the U.S. Department of Labor issued proposed regulations addressing whether a worker is an “employee” or an “independent contractor” under the Fair Labor Standards Act. We are reviewing the proposal now and...more
On January 7, the outgoing Trump Administration published regulations that set forth new, more “business-friendly” standards for determining whether a worker was an independent contractor or an employee. The regulations were...more
On January 7, President-elect Joe Biden, a self-described “union man,” announced that he had nominated Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (D), a former union leader, to serve as the nation’s next Secretary of Labor. If confirmed, Mayor...more
The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave has sent out the following bulletin to employers regarding their responsibility to select a Leave Administrator to interface with the state in administering the Paid...more
On September 8, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York vacated a portion of the U.S. Department of Labor’s regulations narrowing the scope of “joint employer” status under the Fair Labor Standards Act. According...more
In 2019, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a Paid Family and Medical Leave Law. The law provides for 12 weeks of paid family leave per benefit year, 20 weeks of paid medical leave for the worker’s own serious health...more
On April 1, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor issued proposed regulations clarifying its interpretation of joint employer status under the Fair Labor Standards Act. This past Sunday, the DOL issued a Final Rule, which will...more
Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor issued its Final Rule regarding the salary thresholds that apply to certain exempt white-collar employees. The new salary thresholds will take effect on January 1.
The DOL received...more
On June 14, the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave issued more details regarding the delay in the start of employer and employee contributions to the Paid Family and Medical Leave program.
As we reported...more
The Massachusetts House and Senate, and the Administration of Gov. Charlie Baker issued a joint announcement today, saying that the beginning of deductions under the state Paid Family and Medical Leave law will be suspended...more
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development has issued draft regulations concerning the state’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave law, which was enacted in June 2018.
A substantial portion of the...more
On June 28, 2018, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law An Act relative to minimum wage, paid family medical leave and the sales tax holiday, compromise legislation also known as the “Grand Bargain.” The new...more
One of the first acts of Alex Acosta after he was sworn in as Secretary of Labor was to withdraw the U.S. Department of Labor’s 2015 Administrative Interpretation on independent contractors. The 2015 Administrative...more
Since 1993 the federal Family and Medical Leave Act has required employers with 50 or more employees to provide unpaid leave to eligible employees for qualifying reasons.
Massachusetts now joins a small but growing number...more
Remember the 2016 Overtime Rule? They sued over that?
Last summer, I wrote about Alvarez v. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., a class and collective action alleging that Chipotle violated the Overtime Rule issued by the Obama...more