The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the “Act”), signed into law on July 4, 2025, established a new deduction regime on overtime pay and tips that has garnered significant attention. Workers can now deduct up to $12,500 in overtime pay and up to $25,000 in reported tips when filing their federal tax returns. Workers will not see the impact of this law change until filing their […]
On April 23, 2025 (the “Effective Date”), President Trump issued an executive order entitled “Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy” (the “Executive Order”) concerning the disparate impact liability that has been employed in discrimination enforcement actions and lawsuits. Disparate impact involves imposing a theory of discrimination liability when a practice, neutral on its face (and no intent […]
In April of this year, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued a rule (“Final Rule”)that would have effectively banned employers from enforcing non-competition provisions in contracts with their employees. That rule was originally set to take effect on September 4, 2024. If the Final Rule had become effective, almost all non-compete agreements would have been […]
Calling all Massachusetts businesses: the state has enacted legislation that mandates pay transparency in the workforce. Governor Maura Healey recently signed into law “An Act relative to salary range transparency” (H.4890), which requires employers to disclose salary ranges and protects an employee’s right to ask for salary ranges. Under the new law, Massachusetts businesseswith 25 […]
As an employer in Massachusetts, it’s important to understand the Massachusetts wage law and hour laws. Massachusetts has strict regulations governing the payment of wages and ensuring compliance with the Massachusetts Wage Act, including wage act claims related to unpaid compensation and commissions. Timely Payment of Wages Under Wage Law Under the Massachusetts Wage Law (“Wage […]
A Parental Leave policy is a necessity for Massachusetts employers. The Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFML) became effective in January 2021 and provides for 12 weeks of family leave to bond with a child within the first 12 months following the child’s birth, adoption, or foster care placement.[1] When drafting parental leave […]
There are many reasons an organization may consider implementing a code of conduct in the workplace. Some companies are subject to regulations that make it a requirement, but good codes of conduct are more than just a compliance tool; they can also be a cornerstone of a positive and productive workplace culture. For organizations of […]
No business relishes the prospect of employee layoffs. But, especially with interest rates higher than they have been in many years, tech companies need to be prepared for that unpleasant eventuality. Some steps about planning for layoffs – like considering how to break the news in a humane way, how to bolster employee morale once […]
On September 11, 2023, a district court judge in the Eastern District of Washington entered an order dismissing a lawsuit brought by a conservative advocacy group, which challenged Starbucks’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies. The advocacy group owns 56 shares of Starbucks stock and brought the lawsuit as a shareholder derivative action — a […]
Many companies are facing hard decisions as financial challenges continue and the fear of recession lingers.
On February 21, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or the “Board”) ruled that the proffer of broad confidentiality and non- disparagement provisions in severance agreements violates the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”). The decision is effective immediately and applies to existing severance agreements.
Superior Court Business Litigation Session published an opinion this afternoon in the matter of Governo Law Firm LLC v. CMBG3 LLC that is interesting in several respects.
The Federal Trade Commission would like to preempt state law and make most noncompetes illegal as a matter of nationwide federal law. In January it began a rulemaking toward that end. See The FTC: Noncompete Agreements Must Go.
The Massachusetts Legislature has attempted to pass legislation regulating noncompete agreements every year since 2009. This year, it finally succeeded. The new law, which will take effect on October 1, 2018, makes important changes to the body of Massachusetts non-compete “common-law” that has evolved over many decades. Here are the highlights of the new Non-compete […]
On January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking – Non-Compete Clause Rulemaking (the “Notice”) – that proposes a federal rule prohibiting the use of non-compete clauses, generally making the prohibitions adopted by a few states, like California, apply nationally. A non-compete clause is a type of restrictive covenant […]