Work & The Law

Virginia-based employee’s Massachusetts Wage Act and 151B Discrimination Claims Survive Motion to Dismiss

A U.S. District Court judge has denied a motion to dismiss a Virginia-based employee’s Massachusetts Wage Act and 151 discrimination claims, finding that the employer’s Massachusetts headquarters, the employee’s regular communication with Massachusetts-based employees, and the employee’s business travel to Massachusetts was sufficient to state a claim for violation of Massachusetts law. United States District Court SUMMARY: (court decision – opens

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Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards updates Prevailing Wage Topical Outline

On December 7, 2022, the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards issued an update to its Topical Outline of Massachusetts Prevailing Wage Law. This outline provides guidance on all issues related to compliance with the Massachusetts prevailing wage law, including detailed opinion letters on the type of work covered by various occupational classifications. These occupational classifications include, but are not limited

Read More »

Trash Collection Workers Entitled To Recover Underpaid Prevailing Wages

The Massachusetts Appeals Court has held that where a trash collection company entered into a five-year contract with a Massachusetts municipality, the company was obligated to pay the employees the higher prevailing wage for the final three years of the contract even though the original prevailing wage schedule did not contain rates for those years. United States District Court District

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Overtime Wages – Medical Transportation

You may be owed overtime compensation if you are a driver for a non-emergency medical transportation company in Massachusetts. Many companies in Massachusetts hire workers to drive individuals to non-emergency medical appointments and to various clinics throughout the state, but often classify these individuals as independent contractors in order to avoid paying overtime. In all likelihood, this is illegal. If

Read More »

Massachusetts Prevailing Wage Law Primer

The Massachusetts Prevailing Wage Law establishes minimum wage rates for workers on public construction and non-construction projects throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards (DLS) is the state administrative agency that is responsible for issuing prevailing wage rates and routinely provides guidance and interpretation on all issues related to the law. Before obtaining bids for any

Read More »

Unpaid Prevailing Wages: Lawsuit Filed Against Utility Metering Solutions

On November 23, 2016 Attorney Adam J. Shafran and Rudolph Friedmann LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Xtralight Manufacturing, Ltd. d/b/a Utility Metering Solutions (“UMS”) for unpaid prevailing wages, overtime wages and unreimbursed transportation expenses. On December 2, 2016, 25 additional UMS employees were added to the lawsuit as named-plaintiffs who also allege that they have not been paid

Read More »

Remedies Under the Massachusetts Wage Act

The Massachusetts Wage Act protects employees by requiring the prompt payment of wages within six days of being earned. G.L. c. 149 § 148. The Courts have defined the purpose of the Wage Act to limit the time between the completion of an employee’s work and the payment of their wages. It protects employees from the unreasonable suppression of wages

Read More »

Virginia-based employee’s Massachusetts Wage Act and 151B Discrimination Claims Survive Motion to Dismiss

A U.S. District Court judge has denied a motion to dismiss a Virginia-based employee’s Massachusetts Wage Act and 151 discrimination claims, finding that the employer’s Massachusetts headquarters, the employee’s regular communication with Massachusetts-based employees, and the employee’s business travel to Massachusetts was sufficient to state a claim for violation of Massachusetts law. United States District Court SUMMARY: (court decision – opens

Read More »

Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards updates Prevailing Wage Topical Outline

On December 7, 2022, the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards issued an update to its Topical Outline of Massachusetts Prevailing Wage Law. This outline provides guidance on all issues related to compliance with the Massachusetts prevailing wage law, including detailed opinion letters on the type of work covered by various occupational classifications. These occupational classifications include, but are not limited

Read More »

Trash Collection Workers Entitled To Recover Underpaid Prevailing Wages

The Massachusetts Appeals Court has held that where a trash collection company entered into a five-year contract with a Massachusetts municipality, the company was obligated to pay the employees the higher prevailing wage for the final three years of the contract even though the original prevailing wage schedule did not contain rates for those years. United States District Court District

Read More »

Overtime Wages – Medical Transportation

You may be owed overtime compensation if you are a driver for a non-emergency medical transportation company in Massachusetts. Many companies in Massachusetts hire workers to drive individuals to non-emergency medical appointments and to various clinics throughout the state, but often classify these individuals as independent contractors in order to avoid paying overtime. In all likelihood, this is illegal. If

Read More »

Massachusetts Prevailing Wage Law Primer

The Massachusetts Prevailing Wage Law establishes minimum wage rates for workers on public construction and non-construction projects throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards (DLS) is the state administrative agency that is responsible for issuing prevailing wage rates and routinely provides guidance and interpretation on all issues related to the law. Before obtaining bids for any

Read More »

Unpaid Prevailing Wages: Lawsuit Filed Against Utility Metering Solutions

On November 23, 2016 Attorney Adam J. Shafran and Rudolph Friedmann LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Xtralight Manufacturing, Ltd. d/b/a Utility Metering Solutions (“UMS”) for unpaid prevailing wages, overtime wages and unreimbursed transportation expenses. On December 2, 2016, 25 additional UMS employees were added to the lawsuit as named-plaintiffs who also allege that they have not been paid

Read More »

Remedies Under the Massachusetts Wage Act

The Massachusetts Wage Act protects employees by requiring the prompt payment of wages within six days of being earned. G.L. c. 149 § 148. The Courts have defined the purpose of the Wage Act to limit the time between the completion of an employee’s work and the payment of their wages. It protects employees from the unreasonable suppression of wages

Read More »

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