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Massachusetts CROWN Act enacted

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On July 26, 2022 Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act (CROWN Act). The CROWN Act provides statutory protections for students and employees from discrimination based on hairstyles historically associated with race. Specifically, the CROWN Act provides that the statutory definition of “Race,” as applied to the bar on discrimination “shall include traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture, hair type, length, and protective hairstyles.” The Crown Act also defines a “protective hairstyle” to include, “but not be limited to braids, locks, twists, Bantu …

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Massachusetts Wage Act Update

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The Massachusetts Wage Act protects employees from delayed or non-payment of wages. For many employees, particularly those who live paycheck to paycheck, this statute provides critical protection helping to preserve employees’ ability to timely pay essential expenses. In turn, Massachusetts employers need to comply with the strict requirements to pay employees on time and should be aware of the applicable penalties for non-payment even if an employer makes a “good faith” mistake. A salient feature of the Massachusetts Wage Act is the mandatory penalty imposed on employers for a violation of the Wage Act, which generally mandates that employers which …

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