After years of negotiation, on July 31, 2018, the Massachusetts legislature finally was able to pass legislation that, if signed by Governor Charlie Baker, would significantly limit the enforceability of noncompetition agreements in the Commonwealth. The Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act (“the Act”) would apply to all noncompetition agreements entered into on or after October 1, 2018. If signed into law, the Act generally would limit all post-employment noncompetes to a maximum duration of 12 months, and, absent agreement to the contrary, require employers to pay 50% of the former employee’s base salary – termed “garden leave” pay – during the restricted period, among other constraints. This significant change to employment relationships in Massachusetts was included in a broader economic development bill, and is now on Governor Baker’s desk for signature.
Articles About Massachusetts Labor and Employment Law.
Massachusetts Non-Compete Law Reaches Governor’s Desk
Just before midnight on July 31, 2018, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a bill regulating the use of non-compete agreements in the Commonwealth. This development is a long time coming, as the Legislature had been attempting for nearly a decade to create a non-compete law.
Non-Compete News: Massachusetts Legislature Passes Non-Compete Legislation
As discussed in our prior Alert, the Massachusetts Legislature has been considering legislation focused on reforming non-compete covenants. The Legislature has now passed a major overhaul of non-compete law, known as the “Massachusetts Noncompetition Act.” Assuming Governor Charlie Baker signs the bill, it will apply to noncompetition agreements entered into on or after October 1, 2018. This Alert summarizes the key provisions of the Act.
MA Legislature Passes Major Non-Compete Reform Legislation
On the final day of the legislative session, Massachusetts lawmakers passed a significant reform bill addressing non-compete agreements and trade secret protection. Passage was years in the making, as the specifics of reform and the need for reform itself have been hotly debated for almost ten years in prior legislative sessions. This update, written by Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP, outlines the significant changes that would occur to current MA law and what it means for employers.
Massachusetts Legislature (Finally) Passes Non-Compete Law
The Massachusetts Legislature, at long last, has passed a bill regulating the use and enforcement of non-compete agreements in the private sector. Once “An Act relative to the judicial enforcement of noncompetition agreements” is signed by Governor Charlie Baker, it will take effect on October 1, 2018.
Non-Compete News: Massachusetts Takes Another Swing at Comprehensive Non-Compete Reform
Executive Summary: For several years, Massachusetts has tried—and failed—to pass restrictions on non-compete covenants, and this year is no exception. Massachusetts’ 2017-18 legislative session includes seven bills focusing on reforming non-compete covenants. Yet just this week, Massachusetts’ legislature released a new economic development bill, S.2625, that would significantly limit the use of non-compete clauses in employment.
November 2018 Ballot Question Seeks to Impose Registered Nurse-to-Patient Ratio Limits on Massachusetts Health Care Facilities
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC), the state’s highest court, has held that an Initiative Petition (Initiative Petition 17-07) seeking to create a new law (“The Patient Safety Act”) that would dictate to hospitals and acute care units in state-operated health care facilities the number of patients that may be assigned to a registered nurse is constitutional and could be placed on the November ballot if a sufficient number of supporting signatures were submitted to the Secretary of the Commonwealth by July 3. Supporters of the Initiative Petition submitted the required number of signatures by July 3, so it will be placed on the November ballot as Question #1.
The Regular Rate Riddle in the Massachusetts “Grand Bargain” Legislation
The new “grand bargain” legislation Governor Charlie Baker signed into law last week gradually phases out the requirement that Massachusetts retailers pay time-and-a-half for work on Sundays or certain holidays. However, this phase-out has a hidden complication: payment of less than time-and-a-half for work on Sunday or holidays is not credited towards overtime for work over 40 hours in a week, and therefore must be included in the regular rate. This means retailers may be required to account for extra premium pay for employees who work on Sundays or holidays.
Massachusetts Raises Minimum Wage, Mandates Paid Family and Medical Leave
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has signed a sweeping bill that, over a period of five years, will: (1) raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour; (2) mandate paid family and medical leave for Massachusetts employees; and (3) phase out Sunday and holiday premium pay for retail employees. The law, signed on June 28, 2018, also will institute an annual sales tax holiday weekend. The first minimum wage increase, to $12.00 an hour, and first decrease in Sunday and holiday premium pay will go into effect on January 1, 2019.
Considerations for Employers in Massachusetts
Like New Jersey’s Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act, the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act (MEPA) amendments went into effect on July 1, 2018. Regarded as one of the first comprehensive fair pay laws to be passed at the state level, MEPA has served as not only as a catalyst, but a model, for the patchwork of fair pay laws being enacted across the nation.
Massachusetts Increases Minimum Wage, Eliminates Premium Pay For Sunday Work, And Enacts New Paid Leave Program
On June 28, 2018, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker executed legislation that makes sweeping changes to Massachusetts law. As part of this so-called “Grand Bargain” legislation (the “Act”), Massachusetts will incrementally raise the minimum wage from $11 to $15 an hour and eliminate the need for most retail employees to receive premium pay for work performed on Sundays and holidays. The new law also creates one of the most generous paid family and medical leave programs in the country. Massachusetts now joins California, New York and Washington, D.C. as the only states to have both a $15 minimum wage and mandatory paid family and medical leave.
Massachusetts and the Ninth Circuit: Recent Ban On Using Prior Salary as Basis for Gender Pay Gap
Executive Summary: The federal Equal Pay Act already imposes limitations on employers when it comes to compensating employees of the opposite sex for equal work. With a recent legislative change in Massachusetts and a decision earlier this month out of the Ninth Circuit, however, several jurisdictions now prohibit the use of prior salary as a justification for any pay differential between men and women.
Massachusetts Adjusts Limits on Employer Inquiries into Job Applicants’ Criminal History
A provision in the Massachusetts criminal justice reform law signed by Governor Charlie Baker amends the state’s restrictions on the questions employers may ask a job applicant regarding the applicant’s criminal history during the hiring process. The new restrictions include an adjusted limitation on asking about misdemeanor convictions and a bar on asking about sealed or expunged criminal records.
Massachusetts Equal Pay Act Calculation Tool: What Employers Need to Know
Ever since Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed the state Equal Pay Act (MEPA) on August 1, 2016, employers have been seeking direction on how employee pay should be analyzed to withstand scrutiny under the new law. MEPA goes into effect on July 1, 2018.
Massachusetts Enacts Law Providing Greater Privacy of Health Insurance Information
Health insurance carriers often provide explanation of benefits (EOB) summaries to the policyholder specifying the type and cost of health care services received by dependents covered by the policy. EOBs often disclose sensitive information regarding the mental or physical health condition of adult dependents. Massachusetts has now enacted a law, an act to protect access to confidential health care (the PATCH Act), that permits patients to require their insurance carriers to send their medical information only to them as opposed to the policyholder.