New England Biz Law Update

A plaintiff who was reassigned months after filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission could not hold her employer liable under Title VII for retaliation, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.

A municipal attorney who accused a city solicitor of harassment, unequal pay, Wage Act violations, and unethical conduct did not waive her claims by also filing a whistleblower suit, a U.S. District Court judge in Massachusetts has ruled.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell is leading a counterattack against President Donald Trump’s frontal assault on diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the country’s workplaces.

An employee can proceed with a putative class action alleging his employer violated the Wage Act by failing to pay him within six days of the end of the company’s pay period, even though the statute allows payment within seven days for some categories of workers, a U.S. District Court judge in Massachusetts has ruled in an issue of first impression.

The annual H-1B pre-registration process is set to open on March 7 and will continue through March 24, 2025.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) electronic reporting regulation, covered employers were required to submit their OSHA Forms 300, 300A, and 301 using the agency's electronic Injury Tracking Application (ITA) by March 2, 2025. 

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has set a new deadline for compliance with the Corporate Transparency Act’s beneficial ownership information reporting requirements after a federal judge in Texas lifted the one remaining nationwide injunction blocking enforcement of the statute.

Information is a company’s lifeblood in today’s data-driven world, and data stewards play a crucial role in managing and governing this asset. However, many organizations do not quite grasp the role of the data steward and how it pertains to data governance. An experienced Managed Services Provider can help fill in the blanks.

With the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) expected to focus on immigration and drug offenses under the new administration, it is uncertain whether federal false claims enforcement will remain a supported and well-resourced enforcement priority. 

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court’s ruling, finding that an oil service technician provided sufficient evidence to survive summary judgment on his disability-related claims. The technician had regularly updated his employer about a knee injury. However, he was terminated after attempting to return from medical leave.