Wage & Hour: Boston, MA

    
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    MA 
    WAGE & HOUR LAW:
    Minimum Wage
    Tips
    Overtime
    Time Off
  
Boston, MA Wage & Hour Law            
    
        Boston, Massachusetts 02108    
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    What You Need to Know About Massachusetts Minimum Wage, Overtime, and Other Wage ClaimsYou 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 WageThe minimum wage in Boston, Massachusetts, is $15 an hour, the state minimum wage. 
Suffolk County Minimum WageThe 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.

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                What Is the Minimum Wage in Massachusetts?             
              				What Is the Minimum Wage 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. 
The minimum wage is the least you can be paid per hour, by law. You are entitled to earn at least the highest minimum wage that applies to you, whether the standard is federal, state, or local. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25. If your city or state has passed a law setting a higher minimum wage, your employer must pay you at least that higher amount per hour; it cannot pay you the lower federal minimum wage instead. 
The minimum wage represents gross earnings: earnings before deductions, such as tax withholding, are taken. Your actual take-home pay may be less than the minimum wage.

                Who Earns Overtime in Massachusetts?            
              				Who Earns Overtime in Massachusetts?
You qualify for overtime pay if:
you are paid by the hour
you are not exempt (for example, because you hold a “white collar” job), and
you work over 40 hours in a workweek (or 8 hours in a workday in some states).
If you are eligible for overtime, you are entitled to 1-1/2 times your regular hourly rate for each overtime hour worked. Check the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards for the overtime standards in Massachusetts.
For more information about overtime eligibility, see Am I Entitled to Overtime Pay in Massachusetts?

                How Do I Calculate My Hourly Wage?            
              				How Do I Calculate My Hourly Wage?
To calculate your hourly wage, take the total amount you are paid (whether by the hour, as a salary, by piece rate, or on commission) in a pay period, such as one workweek. Divide that total amount by the total number of regular time (not overtime) hours you worked to earn that money. Be sure to count every hour you worked, including time spent working from home (if allowed by your employer) and any break time for which you should be paid, including breaks that lasted 20 minutes or less and breaks during which you had to work. The hourly rate that you come up with must be at least the minimum wage in Massachusetts.
For more information about your pay rights, see What Are My Rights to Pay for Work in Massachusetts?

                What Is a Tip Credit?            
              				What Is a Tip Credit?
A tip credit is the amount of tips you earn that your employer can count towards its obligation to pay you the minimum wage.
An employer that is allowed to take a tip credit can pay you less than the regular minimum wage, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your hourly compensation up to at least the minimum wage. Under federal law, for example, the minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, but employers may pay tipped employees as little as $2.13 an hour, as long as the employee earns at least the rest in tips. An employer taking advantage of this lower minimum wage is taking a tip credit of $5.12 an hour. 
Not all states allow employers to take a tip credit. Some states that allow a tip credit set the minimum tipped wage amount at $2.13 an hour, like federal law; others have established a higher tipped minimum wage. 
In Massachusetts, your employer may pay you a minimum wage of $6.75 an hour, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your total hourly pay up to the full minimum wage, $15 an hour. If you don’t earn enough in tips to bring your compensation to the full minimum wage, your employer must make up the difference.

                Are Tip Pools Legal?            
              				Are Tip Pools Legal?
Does your employer require you to pool tips? Tip pooling, sometimes called tip sharing or tipping out, is a common practice in establishments where only some employees receive tips directly from customers, especially restaurants. 
In a tip pool, tipped employees put a certain amount or percentage of their tips into a pot, which is then shared among a group of employees. Whether a tip pool is legal depends on who shares in the pool, among other things. 
The general rule is that tips belong to the employee who received them. However, employees can be required to pay part of their tips into a tip sharing arrangement, as long as it meets these legal requirements: 
The employer may not share in the tip pool. This includes managers and supervisors. If managers and supervisors receive their own tips for services they directly and solely provide to customers, they may contribute a portion of those tips to the tip pool, but they may not take any money from the pool. 
If the employer takes a tip credit, then only employees who regularly and customarily receive tips may share in the tip pool. For example, wait staff, bussers, and bartenders may be part of the tip pool, but "back of the house" employees -- like cooks and dishwashers -- may not. (Employers that don't take a tip credit may allow back of the house employees to take a share of the tip pool, but only if state law allows it.)
Only the amount of tips an employee actually takes home counts towards any employer tip credit. In other words, if an employee has to share tips, the employee's hourly wage includes only what the employee got back from the tip pool, not what the employee had to put into the pot. 

                Am I Entitled to Breaks?            
              				Am I Entitled to Breaks?
Believe it or not, employers in many states have no legal obligation to give their employees any breaks during the work day. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require employers to provide any breaks, and many states follow the same rule. Other states require employers to provide rest breaks, meal breaks, or both. 
A small number of states require employers to provide paid rest breaks during the work day. 
Massachusetts employees are entitled to a 30-minute meal break, unpaid, if they work for more than six hours.  
Massachusetts law does not require employers to provide rest breaks. If your employer chooses to let employees take rest breaks, it must pay you for breaks that last for 20 minutes or less.

                How Can I Enforce My Wage and Hour Rights?            
              				How Can I Enforce My Wage and Hour Rights?
If your employer hasn't paid you overtime, hasn't given you legally required breaks, didn't give you a final paycheck, or has otherwise not paid you everything you are owed, you should take steps to assert your rights. There are three things you can do:
Complain within your company. Use your company's internal complaint process to raise your concerns. Ask the company to investigate and make the situation right. The law protects you from employer retaliation for asserting your wage and hour rights. 
File a wage claim. If your company doesn't resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, find out whether your state has an administrative wage claim procedure. In most states, you can file a claim with the state agency that enforces wage and hour laws. Your claim may be investigated, settled, or sent to an administrative hearing, where you can present evidence that you were not paid properly. It's a good idea to talk to an employment lawyer if you are considering filing a wage claim. A lawyer can help you word the complaint properly, present your best evidence persuasively, and reach the best possible outcome -- all while preserving your arguments for court, if things don't work out. 
File a lawsuit. If other avenues don't work, you can sue your employer in state or federal court for wage theft. At this point, you will definitely need legal representation to persuade a judge or jury to enter a judgment in your favor.  

                What Is a Wage Claim?            
              				What Is a Wage Claim?
A wage claim is an administrative complaint you can make against your employer with your state department of labor. Most states have created a process for employees to file a wage claim with a government agency, so they can get their claims adjudicated and get the money they are owed, in less time and for less money than it would cost to file a lawsuit. 
Not every state has a wage claim procedure, however. 
Check the website of the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards to learn more. 

                Do I Need a Lawyer for My Overtime or Wage Case?            
              				Do I Need a Lawyer for My Overtime or Wage Case?
In most cases, it makes sense to hire a lawyer to pursue your overtime or unpaid wage claim. This doesn’t mean you should hire a lawyer at the first sign of trouble, however. If you believe your employer hasn’t paid you fairly, start by raising the issue within your company. Ask your manager or your human resource representative about the problem, or file a complaint using your company’s internal complaint process. It is illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for making a wage and hour complaint, whether you make it within your company or to an outside agency or court. 
If your company does nothing to address your concerns – or breaks the law by firing or disciplining you for asserting your rights – then it’s time to talk to a lawyer. At this point, your options are to negotiate a settlement of your claims with your employer, file a wage claim against your employer with your state’s labor department (if your state has this type of procedure), or file a lawsuit. Having a lawyer will greatly boost your chances of success in any of these endeavors. And, because most lawyers work on a contingency fee basis in these types of cases, you won’t have to pay the lawyer unless you win. Learn more about finding a wage and hour lawyer. 
 
                How Do Wage and Hour Lawyers Charge?            
              				How Do Wage and Hour Lawyers Charge?
Most lawyers that represent employees charge a contingency fee. This means the lawyer gets paid only if the client wins, and only out of the money the client receives as a settlement or court award. When you meet with a lawyer, ask how the lawyer charges, including what percentage he or she will take as a contingency fee. 
You will most likely have to pay the costs of litigation, including court fees, transcription costs, copying costs, and so on. Some attorneys will advance these costs for you, paying them out of pocket until the end of the case. If you win, you can use your award to pay the costs. 
 
                What Is a Class Action Lawsuit?            
              				What Is a Class Action Lawsuit?
A class action lawsuit is a court case brought on behalf of a group of employees who have similar legal claims against their employer. In a class action case, one lawsuit decides the rights of all employees who are members of the class. 
It’s not uncommon for overtime and unpaid wage cases to be brought as class action lawsuits, if the employer applied an illegal policy to a group of employees. For example, if a retail employer required all employees to arrive at 8:30 a.m., spend half an hour cleaning the store and restocking shelves, and then clock in (and start to get paid) at 9 a.m., an attorney might bring a class action lawsuit on behalf of all employees who were subjected to this policy. 
Many wage and hour cases involve relatively small dollar amounts. Although every dollar you aren’t paid is undoubtedly very important to you, the overall value of your case might not be high enough to interest an attorney in representing you. When a number of employees combine in one lawsuit, the attorney can bring all of your claims at the same time and earn a higher fee. 
 
    MA 
    WAGE & HOUR LAW:
    Minimum Wage
    Tips
    Overtime
    Time Off
  
        Boston, MA

      Wage & Hour by Zip Code 
    
    Wages

    Your Rights to Wages  

      Minimum Wage For Boston, MA  
    
      What You Need to Know About Massachusetts Minimum Wage, Overtime, and Other Wage Claims  
    
      Am I Entitled to Minimum Wage in Massachusetts?  
    
      What is Current Minimum Wage in Massachusetts?  
    
      Your Final Paycheck Rights in Massachusetts  
    
      What Is the Minimum Wage in Massachusetts?   
    
      How Do I Calculate My Hourly Wage?  
    
    Tips

    Tips  

      What Are My Rights to Tips in Massachusetts?  
    
      What Are My Rights to Tips in Massachusetts?  
    
      What Is a Tip Credit?  
    
      Are Tip Pools Legal?  
    
    Hours and Time Off

    Work Hours and Time Off  

      Does My Massachusetts Employer Have to Give Me Breaks From Work?  
    
      Does My Massachusetts Employer Have to Give Me Breaks From Work?  
    
      Am I Entitled to Paid Sick Leave, Family Leave, or Vacation Time in Massachusetts?  
    
      Am I Entitled to Breaks?  
    
    Overtime

    Job Classification & Overtime  

      Am I Entitled to Overtime Pay in Massachusetts?  
    
      Intern or Employee: Should I Be Getting Paid?  
    
      Who Earns Overtime in Massachusetts?  
    
      Do I Need a Lawyer for My Overtime or Wage Case?  
    
      Finding a Wage and Hour Lawyer for Your Overtime, Minimum Wage, or Unpaid Wage Case  in Boston, Massachusetts  
    
      Do Massachusetts Overtime Rules Apply to Me?  
    
    Enforcement

    Wage and Hour Enforcement  

      Checklist: Information and Documents You Will Need to File a Wage Claim  
    
      What Can I Do If I Am Owed Pay in Massachusetts?  
    
      How Can I Enforce My Wage and Hour Rights?  
    
      What Is a Wage Claim?  
    
      Boston, MA Minimum Wage and Wage Claims  
    
    Lawyers

    Wage and Hour Lawyers  

      How Can I Find a Wage and Hour Lawyer in Massachusetts?  
    
      How an Employment Lawyer Can Help You  
    
      What Will It Cost to Hire a Wage and Hour Lawyer?  
    
      How Do Wage and Hour Lawyers Charge?  
    
      What Is a Class Action Lawsuit?
Boston, MA Wage & Hour Law

What You Need to Know About Massachusetts Minimum Wage, Overtime, and Other Wage Claims

1. Wage and hour laws differ from state to state.

2. Some states simply adopt the federal minimum wage and overtime standards, but most states have higher standards.

Boston Minimum Wage

Suffolk County Minimum Wage

3. You are entitled to certain payments when your employment ends.

Boston, MA Wage & Hour by Zip Code

Wages Your Rights to Wages

Tips Tips

Hours and Time Off Work Hours and Time Off

Overtime Job Classification & Overtime

Enforcement Wage and Hour Enforcement

Lawyers Wage and Hour Lawyers

Boston, MA
Wage & Hour by Zip Code

Wages
Your Rights to Wages

Tips
Tips

Hours and Time Off
Work Hours and Time Off

Overtime
Job Classification & Overtime

Enforcement
Wage and Hour Enforcement

Lawyers
Wage and Hour Lawyers
