On June 21, 2023, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued its decision in Adams v. Schneider Electric USA, Inc., addressing the so-called “Cat’s Paw” theory of liability. In reversing summary judgment originally granted in favor of the employer Schneider Electric, the SJC concluded that an employer can still violate the Massachusetts anti-discrimination statute, G.L. c. […]
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The departure of key employees can be quite damaging to a business’ bottom line. It is not surprising that businesses go to great lengths and spend significant sums of money to keep those employees. Sometimes, those lengths take the form of additional pay and benefits to the key employee. In other instances, the measures take […]
by Adam Shafran On May 8, 2019, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued what will likely be its most important employment-related decision of the year in the matter of Sullivan v. Sleepy’s LLC. In Sleepy’s, a decision that will impact all retail employers in the Commonwealth, the SJC held that retail employers may not use […]
by Adam Shafran In a recent case out of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, a judge found an employer in contempt of a protective order after the employer fired one of its employees for testifying against the employer in his deposition.
by Adam Shafran Class action wage and hour and other similar employment class action lawsuits are more prevalent than ever, particularly in Massachusetts, which has some of the strongest pro-employee laws in the country. A decision from the Massachusetts Business Litigation Session demonstrates that employers faced with a class action lawsuit must be careful how […]
by Adam J. Shafran On May 21, 2018, in a highly anticipated 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled that class action waivers in employment arbitration agreements prohibiting employees from bringing class action lawsuits are enforceable and do not violate the National Labor Relations Act. The decision in Epic Systems Corporation v. Lewis maintains […]
by Adam Shafran On June 28, as part of a comprehensive new employee wage and benefits initiative, Massachusetts adopted an expansive paid family and medical leave law that substantially expands the job protection rights of nearly all workers throughout Massachusetts. While the details are still coming out, the following are the basic points of this […]
by Adam J. Shafran In a recent decision out of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, a New York-based employer was held subject to suit for unpaid wages in Massachusetts because it allowed an employee to work from home in Massachusetts. The facts of the case serve as an important reminder to […]
by Adam. J. Shafran In a recent class action law suit brought by employees of a security company, the Massachusetts Superior Court described the legal standard to be applied when determining whether a thirty-minute meal break constitutes compensable working time. In this case brought under the Massachusetts Wage Act, the employer Longwood Security Services Inc. […]
by Adam J. Shafran In February of 2017 Adam Shafran and Jonathon Friedmann appeared before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on behalf of over 200 employees from two of the nation’s largest environmental maintenance companies to argue an issue of first impression.
