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MA Employment Law (Workplace/Coworkers) Questions and Answers

Topic	Created	Last reply
break requirements for 12 hour work day I've been with working for an urgent care clinic since they opened 6 months ago. I'm a medical assistant and am scheduled from 7:30am until 8:00PM tec...	5 days 9 hours ago by cmd1046	n/a
Violation of Offer Letter We have a signed offer letter every year that defines the terms of our employment. It states, "This offer letter shall not be deemed to be a contra...	1 week 5 days ago by Tony Swan	n/a
Unemployment status while awaiting start of contract I completed a contract at the end of February, 2013, and spent two months on holiday (the contract work was overseas, for a US contractor under a US g...	2 weeks 2 days ago by jecla	n/a
Post-dating effective termination date under MA employment law I was recently requested to come into work on a Saturday for a meeting. At that meeting I was given notice and paperwork indicating that my position h...	3 weeks 3 days ago by drichar2	n/a
Forged signature on warning in MA employee file I recently got fired from my job. My unemployment was denied. I filed for an appeal. I picked up my case file from the appeals office and one of my wr...	6 weeks 5 days ago by radryanrad	n/a
Partial Business Stakeholder Eligible for Unemployment? Hello! My colleague has recently been laid off and she is a partial stakeholder (has	7 weeks 4 days ago by boston	n/a
New Dress Code Policy forbids tattoos 02/25/2013 As of Jan. 2013 a new dress code has been implemented at my place of employement. This new dress code states that "Facial/Neckline jewelry ...	11 weeks 1 day ago by EBerry02	n/a
Overpayment by employer how much can they request Hello, I was apparently overpaid as I recently found out from my employer which I thought I was covered under my statement of work with them. ...	11 weeks 5 days ago by Gam29	n/a
Personnel Records with MA employer I put in a written request for my personnel records, so I can see recent performance reviews. I received a file containing all my performance reviews ...	17 weeks 5 days ago by Fred1000	n/a
Employer Losing Private Information My employer lost my I9 and W4 forms. They asked me to fill out new ones and I haven't so now I've been working for them without these forms on file fo...	18 weeks 18 hours ago by slalomski1	n/a
Required Job Training in MA I was recently written up for work performance and while discussing why the HR manager expressed that it was strongly suggested by a third party that ...	18 weeks 1 day ago by anonymous1966	n/a
My Rights while under investigation I was placed on paid leave pending a meeting about workplace violance that was rescheduled due to the holidays and our union being on vacation. I show...	18 weeks 5 days ago by PerrottaD	n/a
Exempt no employee contract broke arm..what are my rights I am an exempt salary employee, I do not have an employee contract, the place i work has only 15 or so employees. I was promised verbally 3 weeks vac...	19 weeks 18 hours ago by Needclarity	n/a
Employee takes unauthorized vacation time and then quits I am an owner of a medical practice and I had an employee who I was having problems with from the outset. She was trouble and involved her lawyer wit...	19 weeks 2 days ago by pjfoot	n/a
Exempt Employee Laws I am an exempt full time employee. My hours are 8am-4pm. I am usually on time or five minutes early for work every day but some days I may be five o...	19 weeks 4 days ago by jma	n/a
Maternity Leave - Quitting After Return I have just returned from maternity leave (this Monday) to my current job, which I have held for six years. This week, I was extended an offer from a ...	19 weeks 4 days ago by Fishie7	n/a
Unemployment back pay taking longer than 3 months I left my job in June 2012 to move to North Carolina with my husband who is in the army. I was unaware that I was eligible for unemployment. Once I fo...	21 weeks 5 days ago by Allybugluv4	n/a
Personal Medical Information Required by MA Employer Both my sister & mother work in the medical field. Recently they were given an extensive questionaire that HAS to be completed. Very personal ques...	22 weeks 2 days ago by kimskickin	n/a
Mandatory overtime for nurses in Massachusetts Good news for nurses in Massachusetts. MA General Laws Chapter 111, Section 226 was recently amended to ban the practice of mandatory overtime.&...	26 weeks 54 min ago by The Editor	n/a
MA UI Claim Issue--Presenting Payment--7 Week Delay I have been waiting 7 weeks for my UI claim to be fully processed so I can receive a UI check from the state of MA. Today I called the Unemployment Te...	30 weeks 6 days ago by prm510	n/a
Commission Pay Deductions I work for an auto dealer and I am paid a base salary plus a monthly commission. They have recently changed our pay plans. They have tied the commissi...	33 weeks 6 days ago by Lbishop3	n/a
Change in Vacation Policy/Pay At an employee meeting today, my manager unveiled a new pay/vacation time policy for all hourly employees. This new policy has been defined as follow...	35 weeks 14 hours ago by raiorne82	n/a
I got ripped off for over 500 dollars. What should I do? I have recently ran into someone who has owed me money for over a year now. I was under the impression that he left the state and I would never see hi...	35 weeks 5 days ago by Lifeisgood33	n/a
Owed wages and employee rights For 4 months I went on-site to interview/ plan a marketing and sales strategy with a local small business owner, averaging 1 visit a month. Finally he...	37 weeks 4 days ago by KIQ123	n/a
'reasonable accomodations' help I am employed in a public school system and work in a position that is very stressful. I was diagnosed with multiple medical conditions in the spring ...	37 weeks 4 days ago by irlri	n/a
promotion or not I have been working for this company for about 7 years, and last year I was offered (with no options) a promotion, and was given the responsibilities,...	46 weeks 1 day ago by johnmurphy1230	n/a
STD Massachusetts I have been employed by the company since May23, 2011. I went out on emergency surgery on November 30, 2011. I notified the company within 2 business ...	46 weeks 5 days ago by robin623	n/a
A Promotion that wasn't I was offered a promotion at my part time job via email. My boss asked if I wanted to manage a new site starting in 2 weeks. She stated it was ok that...	47 weeks 6 days ago by Cafe7202	n/a
Pay during shutdown. I work at a large, private, non profit daycare center in Massachusetts. They need to shut down for 2-3 weeks for renovations. Do they have to pay me f...	48 weeks 2 days ago by ringwood	n/a
Employer Mandates TB and MMR testing. Do they have to pay for it? I was hired by an employer that provides services to children. They required me to get a TB and MMR test done which I went to my doctor's office to h...	48 weeks 6 days ago by Amy7621889	n/a
Dependent Verification for Healthcare coverage My employer is conducting dependent verification through our benefits department and any that cannot be verified will be dropped from coverage. For ...	50 weeks 5 days ago by wdwkel28	n/a
Mandatory 'volunteer' time I work for a nonprofit. They have just announced that each of us must now 'volunteer' at one of our programs once a month. How does Mass law view this...	50 weeks 6 days ago by MassWorker	n/a
can we apply for unemployment if the boss taking too much time off my boss taking a few time a year for vacation ,(about 6,7 weeks a year)they closed the office and didn't allow anyone to work ,except for 1 girl(their...	1 year 3 days ago by 3m	n/a
Water and food at job in MA My husband just started working at a restaurant in the kitchen. His boss said he's not allowed to have water/soda and he's not allowed to bring a pack...	1 year 3 weeks ago by HalsteadAshley	n/a
Probation Department Following the indictment today, and throwing in the "Ware Report" for good measure, my question is this: Do those of us that were not selected to w...	1 year 7 weeks ago by Woodrow Wilson	n/a
unfair unemployment decisions I worked for a construction company for over a year. I was fired for being five minutes late to work. I applied for and was denied unemployment benefi...	1 year 10 weeks ago by kevinjamescerce...	n/a
Raise The company I work for decided to give us employees an upgrade in our rate of pay. My boss pulled me into his office and confirmed that I was getting ...	1 year 10 weeks ago by Mhagen01	n/a
extended suspension due to a court appearance I work 2 jobs. 1 as a director of transportation for a child care facility, and 2. a part time boston special police officer. On Thursday I was told t...	1 year 11 weeks ago by crs9989	n/a
Employment Law with focus on Pharmaceutical companies and compliance I want more information on specific attorneys that have experience working with employees in the pharmaceutical industry I am on the non promotiona...	1 year 11 weeks ago by Andrew	n/a
Employer refuses to end my healthcare deductions. I work for a small human services company in central mass as an outreach counselor, and have been employed for two years. When employment began, I pai...	1 year 14 weeks ago by medic25	n/a
Payroll deduction for health care coverage. I was told last week that a deduction for health care coverage would be coming out of my paycheck. I was told it would be $25.00/week. In this weeks...	1 year 17 weeks ago by Ma employee	n/a
Mass Unemployment Adjudicator made horrible error, family of 4 about to be homeless before Christmas A friend of mine was recently denied unemployment because his former employer alleges that he walked off a job, then quit. This is untrue. In fact,...	1 year 22 weeks ago by Whos in Charge here	n/a
Hostile environment I recently quit my job due to a hostile environment. In general the anger wasn't towards me but the actions of the owner caused so much emotional dist...	1 year 23 weeks ago by nikiandres	n/a
Vacation pay still due if transfured to another state? I worked with a company for almost 5 yrs. i was transfured to another location (CT) to "help them out" for the last 4 months of my employment, and cho...	1 year 23 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Salaried Managers taking gratuities If an employee is titled and paid as a salaried manager but they are the only person working, are they allowed to keep gratuities that are given to t...	1 year 23 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Physical abuse! I work in a small dental office where the Dentist is not only the owner but also the one and only boss. He physically grabbed me by my scrubs and mov...	1 year 24 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
MA hourly employees: ER required to pay them weekly? Up to now, all our employees have been exempt, salaried EEs, paid semi-monthly. We're bringing on 2 hourly employees; is the employer required to pay ...	1 year 25 weeks ago by Tosa	n/a
Mass Residant Health Insurance Provided By Out Of State Carrier I live and work in MA for a company which is based out of state but has local facilitys. The health insurance provided is by an out of state health in...	1 year 26 weeks ago by ahallasjr	n/a
Believe that employer has incorrectly defined Intermittent FMLA I have fulfilled the necessary employed time to qualify for FMLA. I took 4 weeks of FMLA in March, 2011, for knee surgery. Shortly after returning to ...	1 year 26 weeks ago by mariefnp	n/a
Offered lower grade job and lower pay I work as a clinical nurse manager for a home care company. I am a salaried 25 hour per week employee. I was just notified that they are closing my...	1 year 27 weeks ago by Maur	n/a
Spending Time with Coworkers Outside of Work Hours I have been spoken to several times regarding certain coworkers I spend my time with outside of normal working hours. I am told that I need to invite...	1 year 29 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Bonus payment after resignation? My current employer recently increased my yearly salary and granted me a bonus. The bonus is to be paid out in 5 installments. However, I recently ...	1 year 29 weeks ago by bearclaws	n/a
Non Solicitation clause This is for the work location in RI. I am employed with a company A working for the client B.There is a master services agreement (MSA) signed betw...	1 year 35 weeks ago by lucky	n/a
Employer Recall I have just received notice from my former employer, that my previous position is open and they want me back. This employer fought my unemployment cl...	1 year 38 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Eligibility For Benefit s/ PTO I currently work as a part-time manager for a large national retail establishment. With a shortage of managers, I've been required to work between 40 ...	1 year 40 weeks ago by odohun13	n/a
unable to complete training, let go, any recourse. I was let go after not completing a company training program in the alloted 3 weeks. I know of at least 1 other employee that got a 4th week to compl...	1 year 41 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
My wife is caught in the middle of her boss's mariital dispute My wife is embroiled in a very messy and emotional distressing situation at her workplace. She works for a local medical practice, which is owned by 4...	1 year 42 weeks ago by PaulM	n/a
Interstate Unemployment Claim after Initial Benefit Year Expired, worked part time in new state Hi, Began collecting in MA @ $384/wk. Exhausted regular state benefits and moved into Tier 1. Moved to GA and filed paperwork changing me over to int...	1 year 44 weeks ago by rwilde	n/a
Is Employer in compliance with MMLA and FMLA under these conditions? Employee gives birth during the 10th month of employment at given company. The company grants employee the 8 weeks of maternity leave per MMLA orders....	1 year 46 weeks ago by annawantstoknow	n/a
Company owner hacked into an employees Facebook account She did NOT have permission to go in this Facebook page. She found a private message posted by me and used this to fire me. She says that I was spread...	1 year 49 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Statute of limitations, damages & comp time Three questions: 1) What is the statute of limitations for an employer to pursue wage overpayment? 2) Massachusetts Wage Act says when fired, ...	1 year 50 weeks ago by shandos	n/a
Forced Exercise At Work I work for a large athletic corporation located in MA. Recently they have adapted a new fitness program/regimen that are rolling out to the public, wh...	2 years 4 days ago by anonymous2011	n/a
PTO that doesn't accrue doesn't get payed out on termination? I've been laid off and will be told that I will not be paid for my PTO because of the PTO policy(see bellow). Is this legal in Massachusetts because...	2 years 6 days ago by virtualdogbert	n/a
Restricted to building Due to the nature of my profession ( High Pressure Boiler Operation ) I am restricted to the inside of a building per MGL 146 Sec 46 and cannot go out...	2 years 1 week ago by Anonymous	n/a
Over-time compensation I was hired as Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent of Schools and the Recording Secretary for the School Committee. I work a 40 hour w...	2 years 5 weeks ago by Admin Asst	n/a
harassment by general manager I recently had a verbal altercation with a fellow coworkers that also happens to be the general managers son. The son complained to his dad which led ...	2 years 5 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Employment Law Re: Layoff vs Termination Last fall two colleagues were laid off and offered severence packages because the their skills did not correspond with departmental needs. During my r...	2 years 7 weeks ago by tobetoobe	n/a
Applied for unemployment, Lost company's cash. Can I collect I work in industrial commercial supplies and ran the branch for my company. We dealt with large sums of money on a daily basis. Tens of ...	2 years 8 weeks ago by Yellowjeep	n/a
Residential (or even Commercial) Rental/Leasing Agencies and Independent Contractor Law Are rental/leasing agencies exempt from the MA independent contractor law? I've been a leasing agent for 2 different agencies and I see the same issue...	2 years 10 weeks ago by thereoughttobealaw	n/a
Withholding pay for one pay cycle on overtime and holiday compensation I am a public employee and my municipal employer does not pay us for overtime wages and holiday compensation within the applicable time period; we hav...	2 years 11 weeks ago by ninahaskell	n/a
wage deduction same work hours can an employer cut your pay but still expect you to work the same hours	2 years 18 weeks ago by cmd1dc	n/a
No compete contract We have a no compete contract set up for individuals who rent space from us. In it states if they leave or get fired, they cannot solicit clients via ...	2 years 20 weeks ago by skye	n/a
Boss lying about being fired, then changing reasons for why I was let go. My boss had my manager let me go over the phone one morning after working at the company for 3.5 years because I called in after slamming my hand in a...	2 years 23 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Docking Commission Pay Working for commission based company that provides commissions faded against an hourly rate at a rate of 10% gross profit and 2% gross sales, I have r...	2 years 40 weeks ago by SalesmanX	n/a
final wages upon termination- Boston "exception" Does the "exception" for Boston in MGL 149 Sec. 148 ("or in Boston as soon as the laws requiring pay rolls, bills and accounts to be certified shall h...	2 years 46 weeks ago by Cikgujeff	n/a
Multiple candidtates were interviewed for the Principal Assessor's position in an open meeting by the Board of Selectmen. I don't feel the interview was legal. I was under the impression that each candidate should be asked the same questions. The first two were asked si...	2 years 46 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Unemployment Insurance Question (oddball layoff situation) I'm working a job, and we've just been told that our contract is up at the end of the month and isn't being renewed. (I'm an employee of the company, ...	2 years 48 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Out of state freelancer owed from MA bus. owner I live in CA and my client is located in MA. 11 months ago, I completed a freelance project for the client. We conducted business via email. We did no...	3 years 3 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
doctors note and employer not agreeing my son has a drs note for recent cancer diagnosis he brought note in from dr to exempt him from working one late night at work due to fatigue and rath...	3 years 3 weeks ago by donjohnson99	n/a
Expired Paychecks in MA I have a couple of expired paychecks from a recent former employer. I have asked the employer to have ADP reissue the paychecks, but have received no ...	3 years 4 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
back over time pay for a commission employee I worked 9 years at a company. For the first 7 years I was paid commissions only but had to clock in and out. It was mandatory that I work 70+ hours a...	3 years 17 weeks ago by Overtimepay	n/a
Treble damages even if a day late? Hello. Was terminated on a Friday with a letter stating final pay and accrued vacation time "was enclosed". Not provided with amounts due at the tim...	3 years 22 weeks ago by david watts	n/a
can management be held accountable for actions of a spouse Where I work, there has been issues recently between a manger's spouse and a part tme employee. Accuations were made without proof, but the spouse co...	3 years 26 weeks ago by echoed_obscurity	n/a
Vacation pay I'm a salaried employee at a large Fortune 500 corporation which limits year-to-year carryover of vacation time to no more than one-week. Almost every...	3 years 28 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
employer duduction from your check I'm in inhome sales,, Is it legal for an employer to deduct my set commission if something goes wrong with the install of our product? also if when we...	3 years 41 weeks ago by curious	n/a
Former Employer still sending emails in my name I have been informed that my former employer has continued to send emails using my full name from my company email address. Is this illegal? I was ter...	3 years 43 weeks ago by truerose	n/a
Workplace Refusing to Pay Raise after Resignation I received my annual salary increase effective June 1. I have a letter stating what my new salary is and that the new salary is effective June 1. I ha...	3 years 46 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Manager Not showing up This morning i was scheduled to open the store with a manager at 7am. I walk 20 minutes to arrive at work 10 minutes early. At 7am the manager hasnt...	4 years 7 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Can you get into "trouble" for calling in if You dont feel comfortable driving in 15 inches of snow? I am so curious if they can actually repremand you for calling in advising them that you DO NOT feel comfortable driving to work due to the snow storm...	4 years 10 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
QUESTION ABOUT FORMER BUSINESS OWNER BEING DENIED UNEMPLOYMENT Hello- I'm really in need of some help or advice on this unique issue. I recently sold my business (for a good loss), and I am walking away with n...	4 years 24 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Social Security Number Privacy My employer released my social security number and date of birth to a private insuer offering long term disability. I had not enrolled in this insura...	4 years 36 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Required Health Insurance 11-Feb-2008 5:15 PM -- JJ I recently lost my job through a lay off.This year I was faced with the MA requirement to carry health insuran...	4 years 39 weeks ago by admin	n/a
Employment 12-Feb-2008 3:07 PM -- Anonymous I left a big financial services firm back in 2000 in what I thought on a good note. I never had any pro...	4 years 39 weeks ago by admin	n/a
non-solicitation agreement 22-Feb-2008 9:42 AM -- Anonymous I was recently laid off and part of my severance agreement states that for 12 months following my depar...	4 years 39 weeks ago by admin	n/a
New Landlord 31-Mar-2008 7:15 AM -- JJI am currently renovating a 3-family home in Haverhill and am starting the process of interviewing potential tenants. I have ...	4 years 39 weeks ago by admin	n/a
Simple Questions on Property Assessor Rights 14-Apr-2008 5:35 AM -- mw I have some simple questions on a property assessor rights to go onto a property.What laws give an Assessor th...	4 years 39 weeks ago by admin	n/a
Revocable Living Trust & public assistance? 12-Apr-2008 6:49 PM -- Vika An elderly relative has sole deed to a multi-family home. She wishes to leave her house to me, although I do...	4 years 39 weeks ago by admin	n/a
employer placing picture online 27-Apr-2008 11:01 PM -- AnonymousMy employer has made it mandatory that all employes have thier picture taken to be posted online to advertise the bus...	4 years 39 weeks ago by admin	n/a
Employer relocation expenses John384Guest0 post 1-May-200811:49 AM The contract I signed before I went to work for a company stated that my relocation was a loan that would be fo...	4 years 39 weeks ago by admin	n/a
Employee Out Indefinitely?? 28-May-2008 9:06 AM -- Louisa I am a small business employer (3 employees and myself). I have an employee who has been out over a week ...	4 years 39 weeks ago by admin	n/a