March 2024

State Updates

 

Massachusetts Adjusts Limits on Inquiries into Job Applicants’ Criminal History

06/06/18

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.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018/Author: ADP Admin/Number of views (8152)/Comments (0)/
Tags: 06/06/18

Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General Issues Guidance on the State’s New Pay Equity Law.

06/06/18

On March 1, 2018, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General issued its much-anticipated guidance on the state’s new pay equity law, set to take effect on July 1, 2018. The Massachusetts pay equity legislation amended the state’s Massachusetts Equal Pay Act (MEPA). Among other things, the amendment changed the definition of comparable work, prohibited employers from asking applicants about salary history, and established a safe harbor for employers who conduct pay audits. The Attorney General’s Guidance does not have the legal force of a regulation, but it provides clear insight into how the Attorney General’s Office views the law and will enforce it.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018/Author: ADP Admin/Number of views (8289)/Comments (0)/
Tags: 06/06/18

Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Update: Commission Guidance and Q&As Available

04/05/18

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination has issued questions and answers (Q&A) to provide additional interpretive information about the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The Act took effect on April 1, 2018.
Thursday, April 5, 2018/Author: ADP Admin/Number of views (7819)/Comments (0)/

Massachusetts: Employer Medical Assistance Contribution (EMAC) Tier II Supplement -- Final Regulations

04/05/18

The Final Regulation update for the EMAC Tier II Supplement is now available.
Thursday, April 5, 2018/Author: ADP Admin/Number of views (7358)/Comments (0)/

Massachusetts Employer Medical Assistance Contribution Tier II Supplement

01/04/18

In August 2017, Governor Baker signed off on a $200 million health care assessment on Massachusetts employers, in an effort to control growth in Medicaid and state health care spending.  Read the article to learn more about the new temporary assessment on MA employers.

Tuesday, January 2, 2018/Author: Andaika Jean-Noel/Number of views (6774)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Massachusetts

Massachusetts Employers Must Provide Sexual Harassment Policy Annually

12/21/17

Massachusetts employers are required to provide the sexual harassment policy to employees annually and to all new employees upon hire.   
Wednesday, December 20, 2017/Author: Andaika Jean-Noel/Number of views (7894)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Massachusetts

Massachusetts Strengthens Protections for Pregnant Workers

11/16/17

In an amendment to the Massachusetts Fair Employment Practices Act, the state of Massachusetts has expressly included pregnancy as a protected characteristic and expands accommodation requirements for pregnant employees. The amended law goes into effect April 1, 2018.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017/Author: Andaika Jean-Noel/Number of views (6874)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Massachusetts

Massachusetts Employers Must Engage Medical Marijuana Users in Interactive Process

08/03/17

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Barbuto v. Advantage Sales & Marketing, LLC has ruled that handicapped employees, who have been prescribed medical marijuana, may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation and employers, at the very least, have an obligation to engage such employees in an interactive process to assist in making this determination.  The Court’s ruling is significant because it questions the validity of zero-tolerance drug policies as applied to medical marijuana users in Massachusetts.
Monday, July 31, 2017/Author: Andaika Jean-Noel/Number of views (7070)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Massachusetts

Seven States Pass New Marijuana Laws on Election Day

01/05/17

Seven (7) states have joined the growing list of states legalizing the use of marijuana for medicinal and/or recreational purposes.  Arkansas, California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, and North Dakota passed new marijuana laws on election day, bringing the total states (plus the District of Columbia) with medical marijuana laws to 28 and the total states (plus the District of Columbia) with recreational marijuana laws to eight (8).  

Wednesday, January 4, 2017/Author: Andaika Jean-Noel/Number of views (19306)/Comments (0)/

Reminder - Massachusetts Employers Must Provide Sexual Harassment Policy Annually

12/15/16

In Massachusetts, the law requires employers to adopt a written policy against sexual harassment and to distribute the policy at the time of hire and annually. 

Monday, December 12, 2016/Author: TJaeger2/Number of views (8396)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Massachusetts
123456

Recent State Updates

 

© Copyright 2016 ADP LLC. 10200 Sunset Drive | Miami, FL 33173

You are receiving this email because you are a client of ADP TotalSource. The ADP logo, ADP, and ADP TotalSource® are registered trademarks of ADP, LLC. ADP - A more human resource. is a service mark of ADP, LLC.