As the push to return to the office continues, many workers have started to panic as going back to headquarters threatens a new way of life they've grown accustomed to over the past two years. This poses even greater challenges to individuals with disabilities, who...
Employment Law
Massachusetts Residents Who Illegally Claimed Pandemic Unemployment Assistance May Have Their Debts Written Off
Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance paid about $2.7 billion in unemployment benefits to 719,000 beneficiaries who were later found to have been overpaid or ineligible for the benefit, according to a report. Governor Charlie Baker's administration...
Are You a Victim of Caregiver Discrimination at Your Massachusetts Workplace?
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a technical assistance document, “The COVID-19 Pandemic and Caregiver Discrimination Under Federal Employment Discrimination Law,” and an update to its COVID-19 “What You Should Know” explaining...
Massachusetts Announces Unemployment Overpayment Plan
Massachusetts Baker-Polito Administration announced plans to provide expanded relief to unemployment claimants with overpayment obligations. The announcement follows a decision by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to approve in part the Commonwealth’s request to...
Older Workers Experience Increased Discrimination in the Massachusetts Workplace
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a report on workers age 40 and over in the federal workforce with details regarding pay disparities, the proportion of older workers on staff, complaints of age discrimination, and how this group compares...
Are You a Victim of Wage Theft by Your Massachusetts Employer?
In a recent report by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey says that in fiscal 2021, her office’s Fair Labor Division fined employers more than $8.1 million for wage theft and other labor law violations. The attorney general’s sixth annual Labor Day Report says...
No Clawback on Massachusetts Unemployment Insurance Benefits
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said that there would be “no clawback” of overpaid unemployment benefits doled out during the height of the pandemic despite stories from lawmakers and their constituents who have said they’ve been contacted to repay money they...
Have You Been Denied Unemployment Benefits in Massachusetts?
Some states are making it easier for Americans to collect unemployment benefits if they’re fired for being unvaccinated against Covid-19. The governors of Florida, Iowa, Kansas and Tennessee signed laws in recent weeks that change eligibility rules for jobless...
What Happens if you Receive an Overpayment of PUA Benefits in Massachusetts?
The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is required by the CARES Act to identify and recover CARES Act benefits that were overpaid. An overpayment, or improper payment, occurs if you are paid unemployment benefit payments and DUA later determines...
Are you Facing Barriers in Your Massachusetts Workplace Due to Your Disability?
You may be entitled to reasonable accommodations that will enable you to enjoy equal employment opportunities. In general, a reasonable accommodation is a modification to the way things are typically done or to the physical work environment that would enable a...