Nineteen businesses were recently cited by Attorney General Maura Healey for violation of the state’s ban-the-box law. A similar round of enforcement action took place in May 2018 that included the investigation of more than 70 Massachusetts employers and resulted in…
Posts by Category: Massachusetts
Black, Latino Drivers Sue Amazon Over Firings Based on Background Checks
A lawsuit, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, is a class action suit of black and Latino former drivers for Amazon who have sued the online retailer, alleging that Amazon discriminated against them when it fired them based on a background check policy. Originally filed…
Another Change to Massachusetts Ban-The-Box Law
Massachusetts employers soon will no longer be permitted to inquire about convictions and sealed or expunged records for employment purposes. About 10 years ago, the state became the second to enact a “ban-the-box” law and on Oct. 13, a criminal justice reform bill,…
Are Zero Tolerance Drug Testing Policies About to Go Up in Smoke?
As part of a new decision in Massachusetts, a qualifying patient who has been terminated from employment for testing positive for marijuana as a result of her lawful medical marijuana use may state a claim of disability discrimination. A similar decision was made in…
Massachusetts High Court Reinstates Suit by Employee Fired for Off-Duty Medical Marijuana Use
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) reversed a lower court’s dismissal, determining that a woman’s claims for disability discrimination under the Massachusetts anti-discrimination statute could go forward. After accepting a job with Advantage Sales and…
Case Alleging That Hair Follicle Drug Testing Has Disparate Impact on African-Americans Allowed to Proceed
When the City of Boston conducted hair follicle drug testing on thousands of police officers, cadets and job applicants, the results demonstrated a 1 percent difference in negative results for Caucasian employees over African Americans. A group of African American…
Recreational Marijuana Use Becomes Legal in Massachusetts
A new Massachusetts law that has legalized the recreational use of marijuana in the state seeks to control its production and distribution under a system of licenses, regulations and taxes. The law allows for certain amounts of marijuana to be found on a person 21 or…
California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Maine Voted to Legalize the Recreational Use of Marijuana
Legalization ofrecreational marijuanawas on the ballot in five states this Election Day: California, Massachusetts, Maine, Arizona and Nevada. California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Maine voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, giving a huge boost to the…
Massachusetts State Court Rejects Medical Marijuana Suit
A former employee of Advantage Sales and Marketing LLC, Massachusetts, lost a law suit that she filed against the company for her termination after testing positive for marijuana. Even though the employee had a medical prescription for the drug, it was determined that…
Illegal in Massachusetts: Asking Your Salary in a Job Interview
In a groundbreaking effort to close the wage gap between men and women, Massachusetts has become the first state to bar employers from asking about applicants’ salaries before offering them a job. The new law will require hiring managers to state a compensation figure…