A recent ruling by the Supreme Court represents a big win for employees and workplace equality. The court ruled in favor of plaintiff Jatonya Clayborn Muldrow, who sued her employer, the city of St. Louis, for violating Title VII by transferring her to a new position and then denying a requested transfer because of her...

In recent news, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has revived a former Whole Foods employee’s claim that she was fired in retaliation for protected oppositional behavior. Plaintiff Savannah Kinzer worked at a Cambridge, MA Whole Foods in 2020, during which time she repeatedly violated dress code by wearing a Black Lives Matter face...

Pregent Law previously posted on the FTC’s final rule announced on April 23rd for a comprehensive ban on any new con-compete agreements with all workers. This new rule would be exempt for existing non-competes with policy-making, senior executives earning more than $151,164. The claim against non-compete agreements is that they violate Section 5 of the...

This past Monday, a long-awaited trial began regarding the employment status of Uber and Lyft drivers in Massachusetts. Individuals and businesses in Massachusetts and many other states have relied on these ride sharing apps for more than a decade because of their convenience and general affordability. Both Uber and Lyft have revolutionized the transportation industry,...

In recent news, the Supreme Judicial Court found Jordan’s Furniture in violation of overtime and Sunday-pay statutes following accusations of a commissions-based compensation scheme. Jordan’s is accused of not providing “separate and additional payments” for overtime and Sunday hours and of “reallocating and crediting payments made to fulfill one set of wage obligations against separate...

The legal case between The Boston Globe and a former executive is particularly interesting because it prompted a broader discussion on what constitutes wages and commissions. The plaintiff in this case, Vinay Mehra, was named president of The Globe in 2017. He states that the company hired him with the sole purpose of increasing revenue...

SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) suits refer to lawsuits brought by individuals and entities to prevent critics from ongoing negative publicity. The Massachusetts legislature passed the anti-SLAPP law in 1994 which was designed to provide defendants with a quick way to dismiss meritless lawsuits. In essence, the anti-SLAPP law protects free speech by thwarting...

We rely on law enforcement to uphold the law, but what happens if a member of law enforcement becomes the victim? A recent $2.4 million discrimination settlement against the Boston Police Department reaffirms the message that no one is above the law. Congratulations to the female police officer who was awarded this settlement in January after...

The nearly $7 million dollar settlement that was reached between the Attorney General’s Office and MGM Springfield provides a great example of how employees can successfully litigate against a large employer by joining forces. This settlement comes after a multi-year investigation dating back to October, 2018 and impacting 2,036 MGM Springfield workers. Violations include failure to...