New England Biz Law Update

A $8.3 million judgment awarded to police officers for unpaid detail wages has been overturned on appeal, with a federal appeals court finding no violation of the Massachusetts Wage Act occurred. The ruling demonstrates how ambiguous contract language can backfire ...

A controversial new regulation expanding the concept of “joint employment” under federal labor law is set to take effect in February, potentially making it easier for Americans to unionize. However, the measure has sparked backlash from the business community and ...

A recent appeals court ruling reinforced that under federal wage law, employees must be paid for all work required of them, even if occurring outside normal shifts. The decision upheld a $17.78 million judgment against New York City for unpaid ...

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a final rule that expands the standard for when two businesses are considered joint employers under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The rule replaces a standard last updated in 2020 and ...

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed over 50% more employment discrimination lawsuits in fiscal year 2023 than it did the year before. The agency filed 143 new employment discrimination suits from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023.  The ...

The Department of Labor (DOL) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would increase the minimum weekly salary required to qualify for a white-collar overtime exemption by more than 50 percent, to $55,000. If the changes go into effect, the ...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Labor (DOL) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to join forces to combat unfair practices in the labor market. Under the MOU, the agencies will collaborate to share information, ...

The Department of Justice has announced an M&A Safe Harbor Policy enabling acquiring companies to voluntarily self-disclose criminal misconduct of an acquired company to avoid criminal prosecution. The acquiring company will have six months from closing to self-disclose misconduct in ...

The the U.S. Department of Labor has issued a final rule updating regulations that implement the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA). The DBRA requires contractors and subcontractors on federally funded construction projects to pay their workers at least the prevailing ...

A Massachusetts legislative committee recently heard public testimony on the issue of psychological safety in the workplace. The hearing was held to address a measure pending in the state legislative, Bill H.1882, also known as the Psychological Workplace Safety Act. ...