Massachusetts has long been a leader in civil rights, and several years ago Massachusetts joined the minority of states that provide explicit protection against discrimination on the basis of gender identity. Massachusetts’ anti-discrimination law was amended to add “gender identity” to the list of protected categories which extend to the workplace, housing, and government agencies. […]...
When did you last work, for the purposes of filing a timely payment bond claim on a federal public construction project?The Miller Act, which governs federal construction project payment bond claims, provides that suit be brought within one-year from the day on “which the last of the labor was performed or material was supplied by […]...
Strang Scott has previously written about both the Wage Act, the Massachusetts law protecting the earnings of workers, as well as the independent contractor statute, which governs the classification of workers as either employees or independent contractors. Violating the Wage Act and independent contractor statute can have significant real-world consequences. One consequence is a state […]...
Strang Scott shares its Boston pride in a recent Huffington Post article: 8 Cities With Businesses That Are Bursting With Hometown Pride...
The explosion of business review websites and social media applications brings not only opportunities for businesses to get exposure, but also risks of very public negative commentary. While everyone is entitled to express opinions, that entitlement does not extend to protection for posting demonstratively false statements of fact about businesses online. It is imperative for […]...
Many subcontractors treat lien waivers interchangeably: that is, if you’ve seen one, you’ve them all. More and more, treating lien waivers in this manner could lead to significant and costly consequences. Increasingly, general contractors and construction managers are providing subcontractors and suppliers with a new breed of lien waiver. Unlike traditional lien waivers that sought […]...
Massachusetts law protects the “tips” or gratuities that waiters and similarly employed individuals typically receive from customers. That law is commonly known as the Tips Act (M.G.L. ch. 149, sec. 152A). The Tips Act provides that all tips must be given to the employees that earned the tips, and that tips cannot be shared with […]...
Social media is a part of everyday life, regularly used by both individuals and businesses. Businesses from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies use social media for advertising and marketing purposes, and many of their employees use social media on their own time. The term “social media” includes communicating information of any sort on the internet, […]...
Most property management companies focus their efforts on maintaining the day-to-day operations of their properties and really do try to address their tenants’ requests. Often times, it is a thankless job. A quick Google search of many property management companies will reveal horror stories about tenants’ negative experiences. When something goes wrong at a property, […]...