Overtime Law for Employers in Massachusetts
Massachusetts Overtime Law for Employers: Your Guide to ComplianceWelcome to our comprehensive guide on Massachusetts overtime laws for employers. Understanding these regulations and exemptions is crucial for businesses to avoid legal complications and ensure fair compensation practices. In this guide, we'll provide you with a detailed overview of key aspects related to overtime laws in Massachusetts.
Federal and State Overtime LawsBoth the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Massachusetts state law require employers to pay premium overtime rates to non-exempt employees for hours worked beyond 40 in a week. This rate is one and a half times the employee's regular hourly rate, covering various work-related activities, including some forms of employee travel time.
Exemptions and Important ThresholdsIt's essential to recognize the exemptions under both federal and state law, as they determine which employees are eligible for overtime pay. Here are some key considerations:
Overtime Rules for Highly Compensated EmployeesHighly compensated employees are those earning $107,432 or more in total compensation, with at least $684 per week in salary. They are considered exempt if they regularly perform certain exempt duties. This threshold was raised from $100,000 in 2020.
Implications of Non-Exempt StatusIf any of your employees are non-exempt, several important considerations come into play:
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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 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 severance and non compete review and negotiation, wage and hour, discrimination and retaliation disputes, and advice about employment law generally.
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, employment discrimination and retaliation claims, review and negotiation of severance and non compete agreements, and advice to both employees and employers about navigating complex employment situations.
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 with review and negotiation of severance and non compete agreements, wage and hour disputes, employment and discrimination claims, and advice to small business owners about employment law and other business matters.
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 on the employee and employer side with all varieties of employment law issues, including employment discrimination, retaliation, and wage and hour issues, litigation in MCAD and state and federal courts, and advising employers about employment policies and practices.
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 wage and hour, discrimination and retaliation disputes, review and negotiation of severance agreements, and litigation in MCAD and state and federal courts on employment related issues.
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Overtime exemptions can be complex, and getting it wrong can be very costly. We're here to help. 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.