Massachusetts Employment Law
The Employment RelationshipThe employment relationship, aside from familial bonds, stands as one of the most significant connections in one's life.
The Employer's Perspective For employers, the foundation of a successful business lies in their workforce. Effective employees are indispensable to the smooth operation of your enterprise. Payroll also usually represents the single largest operating expense for a small business. Small business owners face tough decisions every day when it comes to employees. These decisions can often evoke feelings of anger, disappointment, and worry. Moreover, often managing various financial obligations makes it difficult for a small business owner to focus on employment issues before they become a bigger problem. The Employee's Perspective As an employee, your job offers not only financial security but also contributes to your status, self-esteem, and overall satisfaction. If you lose your job, what you are facing usually isn't just about monetary loss. It also includes feelings of insult, humiliation, anger, fear about the future, and much more. When you are not paid what you are owed, or not paid at all, it can have disastrous consequences for you and your family. Our Unique Approach Unlike many employment law firms, we specialize in assisting both employees and small business owners. Our approach allows us to consider both perspectives, ensuring the best outcomes for your unique situation. |
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Common Employment Law Problems
While the landscape of employment law is vast, some recurrent issues include:
- Employment Discrimination: It's crucial for both employers and employees to understand the rules governing terminations and disciplinary decisions.
- Sexual Harassment: Employers must be aware of their obligations in handling allegations of harassment, and employees have important rights in such cases.
- Equal Pay Laws: Pay equality between genders is a legal requirement, but its application can be intricate, with significant penalties for non-compliance.
- Family Medical Leave and Earned Sick Time: New laws grant workers substantial rights, and failure to honor them can lead to substantial costs for employers.
- Non-Compete Agreements: The Massachusetts Non-Compete Act has added complexity to this area of law, affecting agreements signed after October 1, 2018.
- Independent Contractor Classification: Understanding the legal distinctions between contractors and employees is crucial to avoid potential liabilities, and to make sure that people who should be paid as employees receive the legal protections they deserve.
- Overtime Pay: Many employers misunderstand federal and state overtime rules. Salary alone doesn't exempt employees; job duties play a vital role.
- Wages, Commissions, and Final Pay: The Massachusetts Wage Act is strictly enforced and extends to commissions and regular wages.
- Retaliation: Engaging in "protected activities" is a right under the law, and any negative actions taken in response are unlawful.
Meet Our Employment Lawyers
Emily Smith-Lee is the owner and founder of slnlaw. She is a 1996 graduate of Boston College Law School. She was previously a partner at the Boston office of a large international firm, where she worked for thirteen years before starting the firm that became slnlaw in 2009. She has been recognized as a Massachusetts Superlawyer each year since 2013, and in 2018 earned recognition as one of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly's Lawyers of the Year. She has written a book on employment law: Rules of the Road, What You Need to Know About Employment Laws in Massachusetts, and helped thousands of clients on both the employee and employer side with issues relating to wage and hour laws, including overtime pay, late or unpaid wages or commissions, employee misclassification, and retaliation against employees asserting rights under the wage and hour laws.
Rebecca Rogers: Rebecca is a 2006 graduate of Boston College Law School, and has worked with slnlaw since 2013. She previously worked as an intellectual property litigation attorney for Fish & Richardson in Boston, Massachusetts, and clerked for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Rebecca has helped clients with wage and hour disputes, including employee misclassification, late or unpaid wages or commissions, retaliation under the Wage Act, and advice to both employees and employers about wage and hour law compliance.
Jenna Ordway: Jenna is a 2013 graduate of Quinnipiac Law School, and also earned an LLM in Taxation from Boston University in 2015. She has been affiliated with slnlaw since 2011, first as a law clerk and then as an attorney. Jenna has been recognized since 2019 as a "Rising Star" by Massachusetts Superlawyers. Jenna has helped clients assess their rights under the wage and hour laws, including employee misclassification, untimely payment of final wages, late or unpaid commissions, retaliation, and advice to small business owners about wage and hour law compliance.
Elijah Bresley: Eli is a 2014 graduate of Seton Hall Law school, and has worked with slnlaw since 2020. He previously worked for a boutique employment law firm outside of Boston, and then for the Labor and Employment department of a large Boston firm. He also spent a year clerking for the judges of the Superior Court in Hartford, Connecticut. Eli has helped clients with wage and hour claims, including late or unpaid commissions, retaliation, employee misclassification, and overtime, and litigated these claims in state and federal courts. He also advises employers about employment policies and wage and hour compliance.
Sharleen Tinnin: Sharleen is a 2010 graduate of Northeastern University School of Law, and has been with slnlaw since 2023. Prior to joining slnlaw, she worked with King, Tilden, McEttrick & Brink, P.C. on complex civil litigation matters. She previously worked for the United States Department of Justice, and received an "Excellence in Justice" award in 2017. Sharleen has helped clients with multiple wage and hour issues, including retaliation, misclassification, and late or unpaid wages or commissions, and litigated these claims in state and federal courts.
How We Can Help
We can help you assess your employment situation and get clarity on your rights and obligations. You can use the button below to schedule a call back from a member of our team, or give us a call at 781-784-2322.
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