- The Employee: Thomas Galvin served as Director of Facilities and Public Safety
From Lawyer to Employer | Season 4, Episode 6: What Massachusetts Employers Need to Know in 2026
Massachusetts continues to be one of the most active and technical states for employment law compliance. In this episode of From Lawyer to Employer, host Dan Schwartz is joined by Shipman partner Jared Lucan to break down the most important developments impacting employers with Massachusetts-based employees (or operations spanning both Massachusetts and Connecticut).
They cover
NLRB Sues California to Enjoin Enforcement of New Law
A new California law is the latest litigation target of the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”). Signed into law in September, Assembly Bill 288 amended California labor law to allow the state’s labor board to certify unions and resolve labor disputes in the private sector when the NLRB “expressly or impliedly ceded jurisdiction.”
When, exactly
NLRB Sues State of New York to Enjoin Enforcement of New Law
The National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) governs private sector labor relations in the United States. If there is a labor dispute between a private sector employer and an employee, then the National Labor Relations Board typically has jurisdiction – at least, that’s how it’s been until early September.
Recently, states have sought to challenge the
Limitations on the NLRB’s Power: Did Loper Bright Sound the Death Knell?
wo recent appellate arguments underscore the heightened judicial scrutiny facing the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) following the Supreme Court’s decision last summer, Loper Bright Enterprises Inc v. Raimondo. While courts previously granted administrative agencies such as the NLRB deference in their decision making, also known as Chevron deference, under Loper Bright, that deference is no longer guaranteed. Since the decision, employers have been patiently waiting to see what impact, if any, that ruling will have on the actions of the NLRB.
Last week, two circuits heard arguments that may reshape employer obligations and highlight the new era of judicial scrutiny of NLRB action.
Continue Reading Limitations on the NLRB’s Power: Did Loper Bright Sound the Death Knell?
NLRB Exercises Jurisdiction Over Cannabis Company
On May 23, 2025, a National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) administrative law judge held that a cannabis company violated the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) by laying off store associates without bargaining the impact with their union, and by directly dealing with employees.
While the decision here is not novel, the fact that an administrative
General Assembly Expands Eligibility for CT Family Medical Leave Act and CT Paid Leave
Effective October 1, 2025, access to the Connecticut Family Medical Leave Act (“CT FMLA”) and Connecticut Paid Family Medical Leave Insurance (“CT Paid Leave”) will be expanded to include all non-certified school employees at both public schools and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools in Connecticut.
Under current law, CT FMLA and CT Paid Leave coverage
Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Act Amended by General Assembly
On June 4, 2025, embedded in an omnibus bonding bill, the Connecticut General Assembly amended the Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Act as it applies to certain employees of municipalities and boards of education. While the proposed text has passed both the Senate and the House, it will not go into effect until the Governor
NLRB Acting General Counsel Rescinds Biden-Era Guidance
On February 14, the Acting General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), William Cowen, issued a memo (GC 25-05) that rescinds a long list of memos by the previous General Counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo. Although the memo does not offer any tangible guidance to employers, it likely foreshadows how the NLRB will approach certain
NLRB Limits Employer’s Right to Make Unilateral Change
On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, the National Labor Relations Board (“the Board”) limited an employer’s right to make unilateral changes in the workplace, restoring one of “the oldest and most familiar doctrines” in labor law: the clear and unmistakable waiver standard.
An employer makes a unilateral change when it modifies certain conditions of employment (mandatory