On July 6, 2021, Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee signed Pay Equity legislation (the “Act”) (H 5261A, S 0270A) into law. The Act is a broad piece of legislation that applies to all employers. While the Act does not go into...more
7/15/2021
/ Affirmative Defenses ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Enforcement ,
Notice Requirements ,
Pay Discrimination ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Protected Class ,
Safe Harbors ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Governor Baker has signed a mandatory emergency paid sick leave law (“EPSL”) requiring that every Massachusetts employer provide up to 40 hours of paid leave to employees for certain reasons relating to COVID-19. The payment...more
On May 18, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service published guidance in the form of a series of 86 questions and answers (“FAQ”) that address the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021’s (“ARPA”) continuation health coverage in the...more
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The reach of the ARPA extends far and wide, including to healthcare coverage available to...more
3/31/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
COBRA ,
Eligibility ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Former Employee ,
Health Insurance ,
Involuntary Reduction in Force ,
Notice Requirements ,
Opt-In ,
Reduction in Hours ,
Tax Credits
As most employers know, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) went into effect in April of 2020 and required employers with less than 500 employees to provide certain forms of paid COVID-related leave to...more
In a further attempt to alleviate the adverse economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, on December 21, 2020, Congress passed a $900 billion stimulus bill, which the President signed into law on December 27, 2020....more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") recommends quarantine for those who have been in “close contact” to a person who tested positive for COVID-19. Local health departments (and employers) typically rely on...more
Rhode Island and Massachusetts have joined the growing list of states that are enacting orders requiring citizens to quarantine for up to two weeks after traveling to other states. These travel restrictions often prohibit...more
8/27/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Health and Safety ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Quarantine ,
Remote Working ,
Staffing Agencies ,
State Labor Laws ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Vacation Leave ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
A federal court in New York (“Court”) recently struck down a number of important provisions contained within the Final Rule issued by the Department of Labor (“DOL”) interpreting the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act...more
8/12/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Intermittent Leave ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Required Documentation ,
Sick Leave ,
Wage and Hour
In March, Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) to provide employees with paid sick leave (collectively, “FFCRA leave”) if they are unable to work (or telework) because they need to care for...more
COVID Furloughs, Layoffs or Job Modifications May Void Your Existing Non-Competition Agreements -
With Rhode Island and Massachusetts having recently commenced Phase 2 of each of their respective “Reopenings,” more and...more
The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has once again updated its guidance for employers on the implementation of emergency FMLA and emergency sick leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
The...more
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act [FFCRA - House 6201] was signed into law the night of March 18, 2020 and goes into effect no later than April 2, 2020. The FFCRA is designed to provide paid leave, free testing,...more
With more and more individuals taking on the so-called “side hustle” of driving for Uber or even entirely leaving the traditional 9 to 5 work life and opting to make the “gig economy” work as their full time occupation,...more
2/19/2020
/ Arbitration Agreements ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
Right to Control ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Last week, the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) issued Interim Guidance for businesses and employers to plan and respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (official name “COVID-19”). The Interim...more
On Tuesday, September 24, 2019, the United States Department of Labor (“Department”) announced its much anticipated Final Rule raising the salary threshold necessary to exempt certain executive, administrative, and...more
As has been widely rumored, the Commonwealth has decided to delay the July 1 implementation of the Massachusetts paid family and medical leave law (“PFML”). A joint statement by Massachusetts Governor, Charlie Baker, Senate...more
A year ago, the United States Supreme Court issued its seminal decision in Epic Systems v. Lewis, which confirmed that employers may use mandatory individual arbitration agreements without fear of the National Labor Relations...more
5/21/2019
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Epic Systems Corp v Lewis ,
Ernst & Young v Morris ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Murphy Oil v NLRB ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Savings Clause ,
SCOTUS
As we indicated in our prior client alerts on the new Massachusetts paid family and medical leave law (“PFML”), while the first phase of the law goes into effect on July 1, the PFML’s procedural requirements and operational...more
The first phase of Massachusetts’ new paid family and medical leave law ("PFML") requires covered employers to provide certain notices to employees and 1099-MISC contractors as of July 1. Specifically, a form of notice is...more
Certain Obligations Take Effect on July 1 - What Employers Need to Know Now -
THE BASICS. Massachusetts has enacted yet another new leave law. Paid Family and Medical Leave (“PFML”) provides employees with job protected...more
Again? -
In a case of what must feel like déjà vu for employers, on March 7, 2019, after conducting “listening sessions” across the country and receiving tens of thousands of comments from the public, the United States...more
The much anticipated Rhode Island Sick and Safe Leave Time Law (the “new law”) will go into effect next week and impacts virtually all Rhode Island employers. While the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training has...more
In a 5-4 decision this week, the Supreme Court ruled in Epic Systems v. Lewis that class action waivers in employer/employee arbitration agreements are as lawful and enforceable as any other contract. The Court’s decision...more
5/25/2018
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Epic Systems Corp v Lewis ,
Ernst & Young v Morris ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Murphy Oil v NLRB ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Savings Clause ,
SCOTUS
The Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (the "Act") goes into effect on Sunday, April 1st, 2018. The Act, which applies to all Massachusetts employers with six or more employees, requires employers to provide pregnant...more