Court Denies Comp to Worker Who Fell Asleep Driving Home
April 30, 2008—An employee on Boston's Big Dig project who was injured in a collision that occurred when he fell asleep while driving home was denied workers' compensation benefits by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The employee had argued that he should be considered an exception to the "going and coming rule."
Massachusetts Triple Damages Bill Becomes Law
April 24, 2008—Governor Deval Patrick recently angered the state's employer community when he let a controversial bill slip into law without his signature. The measure allows employees to collect triple damages for violations of the Massachusetts wage payment laws.
Did Paycheck Errors 'Blow' His Exempt Status?
January 10, 2008—A Massachusetts customer relations manager worked for a motorcycle retailer for about a year. After he was terminated, he sued the former employer for overtime, contending that two of his paychecks for the year had been wrong. From his point of view, that meant he wasn't a salaried, exempt worker.
Young Women Earn More than Young Men in Big Cities
August 09, 2007—Young women who work full-time in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and Minneapolis earn more in wages than their male counterparts, the New York Times reports.
Massachusetts Health Insurance Mandate Effective Soon
June 21, 2007—The deadline for all Massachusetts residents age 18 and over to have health insurance is July 1. In addition, all employers with 11 or more full-time employees in Massachusetts must make a "fair and reasonable" contribution toward an employee health plan by that date.
IT Company Agrees to Pay $2.4M to High-Tech Workers
June 08, 2007—Patni Computer Systems, Inc. of Cambridge, Massachusetts has agreed to pay more than $2.4 million to 607 workers whom the company employed under the H-1B visa program.
Income Gap Increasing Fastest in New England
April 04, 2007—The New England region experienced the largest income-gap increase in the country between 1989 and 2004, according to research by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire.
10 Best Health Plans
October 27, 2006—The best commercial health plan in the United States this year is Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, according to a ranking published in U.S. News & World Report.
How Much Does Education Pay?
October 26, 2006—Advanced-degree holders made an average of $78,093 in 2004, about $26,500 more than workers with a bachelor's degree did, according to a report by the Census Bureau.
Mass. Governor Signs Groundbreaking Health Care Legislation
April 13, 2006—Massachusetts broke new ground when Governor Mitt Romney signed a health care reform that aims to cover most of the state's uninsured population over the next three years. House Bill 4850 aims to cover most of the state's uninsured population over the next three years. If it works, the plan is expected to cover 515,000 of the state's uninsured population within three years, which is about 95 percent of the total uninsured.
