Page 2 - White Paper- Wage and Hour Laws

Both Massachusetts and federal law have many rules about the payment of

wages, which are strictly enforced. These include: (i) state and federal minimum

wage laws; (ii) state and federal overtime laws; and (iii) Massachusetts laws

requiring timely payment of wages. It is important to note that if an employer does

not follow these rules, liability is strict (meaning the employer is liable even if the

nonpayment was an innocent or clerical mistake that is not corrected), and the

employer can be responsible for multiple damages and for paying the employee’s

legal fees. Many of these statutes also specifically allow an employee to bring an

action on behalf of himself and on behalf of others (essentially a class action

lawsuit).

Minimum Wage

In Massachusetts, the minimum wage is higher than the federal wage, and

employers in Massachusetts are required to pay the higher amount. The

Massachusetts hourly minimum for most workers was raised to $10.00 in 2016,

and increased again to $11.00 on January 1, 2017.

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