Articles Posted in boston

cross the United States, the legal landscape surrounding worker rights to sue collectively has shifted substantially. The federal U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) now favors the enforceability of class action waivers in employment agreements, reversing its previous long-defended position under the prior presidential administration. Previous DOJ Position and NLRA Enforcement Debate For several years, the…

A significant policy shift occurred this morning as the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) officially withdrew its prior interpretative guidance on independent contractor classification and joint employment standards. Business and industry organizations expect this decision to reduce the number of workers covered under wage protections guaranteed by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The…

Pregnant workers may soon receive stronger statutory protections in Massachusetts workplaces following a key legislative development. This morning, the Massachusetts House of Representatives approved a new bill aimed at expanding employment safeguards for pregnant employees, and the legislation now awaits consideration by the state Senate. Persistent Workplace Challenges for Pregnant Workers Pregnancy discrimination has long…

The issue of forced arbitration in discrimination suits has gained renewed attention following a high-profile legal dispute involving a major media employer, the U.S. broadcasting organization Fox News. Reports indicate the company may attempt to require arbitration for an anchor pursuing discrimination claims, shifting the lawsuit out of open court and into private dispute resolution.…

Oxford Comma Decides Court Case in Maine Labor DisputeFor the grammar nerds in all of us, a single punctuation mark recently influenced the outcome of a major workers’ rights decision. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled on a Maine labor dispute in which the meaning of overtime protections under state wage…