You can recover unpaid wages, overtime, and tips in Massachusetts if you know your rights and how to enforce them. Does your employer owe you unpaid wages or overtime? Or, maybe you need information on the breaks you’re entitled to, overtime rules, or your right to tips. If so, you'll find the information you need on this site to learn what you can do in Massachusetts to get the money you have earned.
Here, we answer many common questions about wage and hour law in Massachusetts, including:
- your rights to pay and what to do if you are owed pay
- whether you are eligible for overtime pay in Massachusetts
- your right to tips in Massachusetts
- what breaks you are entitled to in Massachusetts, and
- how to file a wage claim against your employer with the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards.
A few things to keep in mind as you explore this site:
1. Wage and hour laws differ from state to state.
Most states have enacted their own wage and hour regulations and procedures for employees to follow if they have been treated unfairly. These regulations and procedures vary from state to state. Start by finding out about your rights to pay in Massachusetts.
2. Some states simply adopt the federal minimum wage and overtime standards, but most states have higher standards.
The U.S. Department of Labor covers minimum wage, overtime, and other wage and hour matters. In states that have not adopted their own wage and hour regulations and procedures, your rights are set out by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards is the agency that enforces labor laws in Massachusetts. Check there to find out more about minimum wage and overtime rules in Massachusetts.
The minimum wage in Massachusetts is $15 an hour. Because this is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, employees in The Bay State must be paid at least $15 an hour.
Boston Minimum Wage
The minimum wage in Boston, Massachusetts, is $15 an hour, the state minimum wage.
Suffolk County Minimum Wage
The minimum wage in Suffolk County is $15, the state minimum wage.
Check Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards to find out more.
3. You are entitled to certain payments when your employment ends.
Your final paycheck must include certain amounts, regardless of whether you resigned, were laid off, or were fired. Find out whether your former employer met Massachusetts’s final paycheck requirements. If you are fired, laid off, or otherwise involuntarily leave your job in Massachusetts, your employer must pay your final paycheck on the date of the firing or other separation, except in Boston where your final paycheck is due once laws requiring certification of payroll, bills, and accounts have been complied with. If you quit, your employer must pay your final paycheck on the next regular payday.