Categories for Employee Relations
When Can My Business Reopen? Massachusetts Guidelines for the COVID-19 Pandemic
June 12, 2020 12:00 pm
One of the states most hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, Massachusetts has chosen to use public health data to formulate all phases of its reopening plan for businesses and other organizations. As fewer people test positive for the virus, as fewer die of COVID-19, more businesses will be allowed to reopen. If those numbers begin to rise again, however, restrictions will be reimposed.
Here are the key things you need to know about the Commonwealth’s plans for phased reopening:
Testing and Contact Tracing Are Key to Timing of Each PhaseMassachusetts has adopted one of the most aggressive testing protocols in the country and has established a national model for contact tracing, in collaboration with Partners in ...
7 Resolutions to Get Your Legal House in Order for a Great 2020
January 17, 2020 12:10 pm
Welcome to a brand-new decade! It’s halfway through January, and we hope you’ve already made progress on your life-changing resolutions for the coming year. Here are a few recommendations from our colleagues at Mountain, Dearborn & Whiting for law-related resolutions that you can add to your list—now, or anytime this year:
1. Katherine Bagdis, Partner, Litigation and Family Law: If you “popped the question” over the holidays, now is a good time to consider whether you and your soon-to-be spouse should execute a prenuptial agreement prior to the wedding.
2. Robin DeAugustinis, Partner, Commercial Lending and Real Estate Law: If you haven’t already done so, please execute and record a Declaration of Homestead ...
Noncompetition Agreements for Employers and Employees: Striking a Balance
September 3, 2019 8:00 am
Last year, Massachusetts reformed the law by passing the Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act (Mass General Laws c. 149 §24L) Do you know whether your current practice adheres to the new law? Here’s what you need to know:
Noncompete agreements are designed to help employers protect valuable information from leaking when employees leave. Because these agreements restrict an employee’s ability to seek other employment, a balance must be struck that protects the needs of both parties. That’s the goal of the new Massachusetts law.
Whether employers require employees to sign noncompetition agreements varies from industry to industry. Before you consider implementing such a hiring policy, you should assess your business to determine if such an agreement ...
Own a Business? Five Things You Should Know About Employees and Election Day
November 2, 2018 3:14 pm
It’s almost Election Day, and you own a business in Massachusetts. You know you’ll have time to cast your vote before the polls close at 8:00 p.m. But what about your employees? If an employee wants or needs to vote during the work day, what are his or her rights?
Here are five things that you, as the employer, should know:
- There is no federal law that requires you to give your employees time off to vote. Massachusetts law, on the other hand, does give employees certain rights regarding voting during the work day, but only if you are in the manufacturing, mechanical or mercantile industry.
- Massachusetts law requires an employer to allow an ...
Protect Your Business from a Data Breach
October 8, 2015 11:45 amBusinesses of all sizes wrestle with the complex interplay of privacy rights and data security in the workplace. If you aren’t wrestling with it, then you may have already been pinned. Let’s get you up off the mat.
To illustrate the issue, let’s take an everyday situation. Suppose that a local landscaping company (“the Company”) has recently experienced a welcomed growth spurt. In response, the Company has increased its field staff and its office staff. The office staff, a total of four employees, are assigned workplaces with computers connected to a local server, with a central database of customers, scheduling, payment information, and other sensitive data.
As in many workplaces, the office is adjacent to the crew areas, and ...