Massachusetts At-Will Employment Rule

The employment-at-will doctrine relies on the proposition that employers and employees alike are and should be free to make choices as they see fit. The doctrine holds that either party can enter or end a working relationship at any time, for any reason, and with or without advance notice. It generally covers all employment relationships in Massachusetts, though parties are always free to alter it by express agreements (either written or oral). Employers are also, of course, always bound to abide anti-discrimination laws that protect employees from mistreatment based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and other characteristics.
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Penalties for Failing to Pay Wages Due on Time are Severe, and Employers must be Wary of Legal Traps, Particularly those that Apply on Termination of Employment

It seems simple enough – an employee earns wages, leaves the company, and gets a check for what’s due. More and more often, however, former workers are consulting attorneys and bringing lawsuits for money owed but unpaid on termination. Because the penalties for failing to pay wages are severe, employers must be versed in Massachusetts laws that govern what they must pay and when.
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Massachusetts Law now Requires Judges to Triple the Damages Awarded to Employees who aren’t Paid Wages Due them on Time, Raising the Threat of new Lawsuits and Forcing Employers to Revisit Policies to Minimize Risks

Pay your employees what you owe them, when you owe them, or pay them triple.
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LAWSUITS BY WORKING MOTHERS

Guidelines on Discriminatory Mistreatment of Caregivers by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) makes Gender Bias Easier to Prove

Discrimination against women based on pregnancy or child care duties is nothing new in the American workplace. And as the numbers of women who work has steadily grown, so too have the incidence rates and negative impacts of this type of gender bias, an often subtle form of discrimination that has long been difficult to prove.
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Wrongful Termination in Massachusetts

One thing Massachusetts employers must understand is that you are free to do as you see fit with your employees. You can let them go for any reason, at any time, with or without cause. An employer does not need to be concerned about lawsuits as long as they have covered these three basic areas:
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