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About Our Team Why Steffans Legal? Recent Successes Current Representations Practice Areas Workplace Bullying and Harassment Workplace Retaliation Unlawful Discrimination Denial of Overtime Denial of Bonus/Commission Denial of Tips or Service Charges Disability Discrimination Medical and Sick Leaves Severance and Separation Agreements Non-Compete and Non-Solicit Agreements Employer Counseling Defense of Employment Claims Misclassified Independent Contractors Locations Pittsfield Springfield Worcester Lowell Fall River/New Bedford Cape Cod BlogContact
Steffans Legal -- The Employment Law Firm
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Featured
First Circuit Sides with Employer in Reasonable Accommodation Case
Feb 11, 2019
First Circuit Sides with Employer in Reasonable Accommodation Case
Feb 11, 2019

The First Circuit, in the case of Miceli v. JetBlue Airways Corp. et al. recently provided helpful guidance to employers and employees when it comes to one of the most difficult areas of employment law: leaves of absence resulting from mental impairments.

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Feb 11, 2019
Grand Bargain: Why is it Grand and What does it Mean?
Nov 29, 2018
Grand Bargain: Why is it Grand and What does it Mean?
Nov 29, 2018

By now, most of you have probably read about the bill signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker, colloquially referred to as the Grand Bargain. By any measure, this bill is surely “grand” in that it dramatically changes three important areas of employment law.

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Nov 29, 2018
FLU SHOT THE SHERIFF?  BUT CAN I FLU SHOT EMPLOYEES?
Nov 19, 2018
FLU SHOT THE SHERIFF? BUT CAN I FLU SHOT EMPLOYEES?
Nov 19, 2018

The workplace can be a breeding ground for flu-related illnesses. A 2018 survey estimated the cost to employers of the 2017-2018 flu season to be around $9.42 billion. Employees who come to work sick, get others sick. Sick employees are less productive employees. To address this, can an employer require employees to get flu shots? Not surprisingly, the answer is not simple.

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Nov 19, 2018
Dogs in the Workplace: Can My Employer Say No?
Nov 3, 2018
Dogs in the Workplace: Can My Employer Say No?
Nov 3, 2018

According to a 2016 Society of Human Resources Management report, 7% of employers allow dogs in the workplace. Many of our employer clients have begun to allow their employees to bring dogs to work. We think that’s a pretty good idea for the very same reasons we have two in our workplace.

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Nov 3, 2018
Supreme Judicial Court Sides With Employers: Earned Sick Time Is Not Wages
Sep 24, 2018
Supreme Judicial Court Sides With Employers: Earned Sick Time Is Not Wages
Sep 24, 2018

A 2018 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court opinion confirmed that unused sick time is not wages under the Massachusetts Wage Act. As a result, employers do not have to compensate employees for unused sick time at the time of termination.

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Sep 24, 2018
The Supreme Judicial Court Gives Employers A Gift In The Ongoing Independent Contractor Saga
Aug 29, 2018
The Supreme Judicial Court Gives Employers A Gift In The Ongoing Independent Contractor Saga
Aug 29, 2018

Under Massachusetts law, it’s quite difficult to properly treat an individual as an independent contractor.  Thankfully (if you are an employer) the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) has carved a pro-employer exception into the law that makes it much easier to treat someone as an independent contractor, at least for workers’ compensation purposes.

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Aug 29, 2018
Recommendations On Complying with the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act (MEPA)
Aug 29, 2018
Recommendations On Complying with the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act (MEPA)
Aug 29, 2018

Employers who have not taken steps to comply with the Equal Pay Act are incurring unnecessary risk.  Thankfully, the Massachusetts Attorney General recently released a guidance for employers on how to ensure compliance with this new law.  Based on this information Steffans Legal has come up with the following 9 recommendations for employers:

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Aug 29, 2018
Massachusetts Legislature Passes Sweeping Non-Compete Employment Agreement Reform
Aug 15, 2018
Massachusetts Legislature Passes Sweeping Non-Compete Employment Agreement Reform
Aug 15, 2018

The Massachusetts state legislature recently passed an act designed to radically change the use of non-competes in the Commonwealth.

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Aug 15, 2018
Steffans Legal's Employment Law Seminar -- Registration Closed
May 16, 2018
Steffans Legal's Employment Law Seminar -- Registration Closed
May 16, 2018

Steffans Legal is proud to announce that we are currently accepting registrations for an employment law seminar. This seminar is designed to cover a wide variety of employment law issues and is a must attend for anyone who has responsibilities regarding human resources or compliance with employment laws.

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May 16, 2018
Steffans Legal Files Wage-and-Hour Class Action Against Berkshire Health Systems
Apr 26, 2018
Steffans Legal Files Wage-and-Hour Class Action Against Berkshire Health Systems
Apr 26, 2018

Steffans Legal LLC and Connor & Morneau LLP have filed a class action lawsuit in Springfield on behalf of current and former licensed practical nurses (LPNs) employed by Berkshire Health Systems. The lawsuit claims that Berkshire Health Systems repeatedly violated a variety of Massachusetts and federal wage-and-hour laws in connection with how it paid its LPNs.

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Apr 26, 2018
How to Deal with Sexual Harassment in the #metoo Era -- A New Approach
Mar 27, 2018
How to Deal with Sexual Harassment in the #metoo Era -- A New Approach
Mar 27, 2018

According to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the number of complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace are up this year, over last year, by over 2000%.  We've seen that increase first-hand as we currently represent three employees in claims of sexual harassment.  Believe me when I tell you,

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Mar 27, 2018
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Protects Employees Who Use Medicinal Marijuana
Mar 20, 2018
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Protects Employees Who Use Medicinal Marijuana
Mar 20, 2018

Prior to July 17, 2017, most employers in Massachusetts assumed that they could terminate an employee who tested positive for marijuana, even if they were licensed to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. 

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Mar 20, 2018
Massachusetts Equal Pay Act Takes Effect on July 1, 2018
Mar 20, 2018
Massachusetts Equal Pay Act Takes Effect on July 1, 2018
Mar 20, 2018

The Massachusetts Equal Pay Act, known as MEPA, is set to go into effect and will apply to employers across Massachusetts, in Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester, Lowell, Fall River, New Bedford, and the Cape. 

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Mar 20, 2018
Steffans Legal Files Suit in Group Claim Alleging Violations of the Massachusetts Tips Act
Mar 20, 2018
Steffans Legal Files Suit in Group Claim Alleging Violations of the Massachusetts Tips Act
Mar 20, 2018

Steffans Legal has filed suit on behalf of five employees regarding violations of the Massachusetts Tips Act.  The case is currently pending in Berkshire County Superior Court and includes allegations of improper tip pooling and unlawful retaliation.

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Mar 20, 2018
Supreme Judicial Court Holds that Sick Pay is Not a Wage Under Massachusetts Wage Act
Feb 9, 2018
Supreme Judicial Court Holds that Sick Pay is Not a Wage Under Massachusetts Wage Act
Feb 9, 2018

The Massachusetts Wage Act may be the most employee-friendly statute around.  Employees who succeed with claims under the Wage Act have their damages mandatorily tripled and their attorneys' fees paid. 

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Feb 9, 2018
Steffans Legal Achieves Settlement Equal to Two Years of His Client's Earnings in Complex Disability Discrimination Case
Jan 14, 2018
Steffans Legal Achieves Settlement Equal to Two Years of His Client's Earnings in Complex Disability Discrimination Case
Jan 14, 2018

The employee in this matter suffered from a rare neurological condition that caused her to suffer from periodic and unpredictable episodes that, occassionally, caused her to be late to work.  She always notified her manager when she was going to be late and provided as much notice as possible.

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Jan 14, 2018
Steffans Legal Convinces Employer to Increase Offer of Settlement by 2300% in Worcester-Based Racial Harassment, Racial Discrimination, and Retaliation Claim
Jan 2, 2018
Steffans Legal Convinces Employer to Increase Offer of Settlement by 2300% in Worcester-Based Racial Harassment, Racial Discrimination, and Retaliation Claim
Jan 2, 2018

The employee in this matter brought claims of racial harassment, racial discrimination, and retaliation against her employer, based in Worcester.  The employee is of Puerto Rican descent and felt she was being treated differently than her caucasian counterparts.

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Jan 2, 2018
 

Categories

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  • Disability Discrimination
  • Discrimination
  • Employer Counseling
  • Family Leave
  • Filed Cases and Current Representations
  • Gender
  • Gender Discrimination
  • Harassment
  • Independent Contractor
  • Medical Leave
  • Minimum Wage
  • Non-Compete Agreements
  • Premium Pay
  • Reasonable Accommodations
  • Religious Discrimination
  • Retaliation
  • Sick Leave
  • Verdicts and Settlements
  • Wage and Hour
  • Workers' Compensation
 

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Our Locations

 

Pittsfield - Main Office
7 North St, Suite 307
Pittsfield, MA 01201

413-418-4176

Springfield
75 Market Place, Suite 312
Springfield, MA 01103

413-418-4176

Worcester
474 Grove St, Suite 730
Worcester, MA 01605

508-556-9959

 

Lowell
100 Merrimack Street Suite 205
Lowell, MA 01852

978-364-7200

Fall River/New Bedford
57 North Main St, 2nd Floor
Fall River, MA 02720

508-556-9959

Cape Cod
100 Independence Drive, Suite 7 #417
Hyannis, MA 02601

508-556-9959

 
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