The Massachusetts Attorney General recently issued an Advisory regarding the new Domestic Violence Leave Act, which was passed on August 8, 2014. The Advisory helped to clarify some of the requirements of the Act:

  • Because the Act broadly states that it applies to employers with 50 or more employees, it was previously unclear whether the employees had to be located in Massachusetts for the Act to apply. Now, the Advisory clarifies that the Act only applies to employers with 50 or more employees in Massachusetts.
  • The Act requires employers to notify employees of their rights and responsibilities under the law. The Advisory clarifies that there is no mandatory form of notice and lists several possible methods. Notification may include describing the new Act in: manuals given to new employees, existing employee handbooks, a memo to employees, a letter or email to employees, and/or a public posting in the same manner as required of wage and hour postings.

While the guidance did clarify some provisions, other questions regarding the law’s application remain unanswered. For instance:

  • It remains unclear whether an employer is required to provide intermittent leave.
  • The Act establishes that an employee may take up to 15 days of leave in any 12-month period. However, it is unclear whether the 12-month period is a rolling 12 months, or a fixed 12-month period.
  • The Advisory does not address whether an employer may designate the domestic violence leave to run concurrently with other leave, such as under the Family and Medical Leave Act, if the absence could qualify under more than one statute.

As clarifications regarding requirements for this Act continue to develop, Massachusetts employers who may be covered should speak to counsel to ensure they are in compliance.

Print:
Email this postTweet this postLike this postShare this post on LinkedIn
Photo of Mark W. Batten Mark W. Batten

Mark W. Batten is a partner in the Labor & Employment Law Department and co-head of the Class & Collective Actions Group.

Mark represents employers nationwide at all stages of complex employment litigation, including class and collective actions on wage and hour matters…

Mark W. Batten is a partner in the Labor & Employment Law Department and co-head of the Class & Collective Actions Group.

Mark represents employers nationwide at all stages of complex employment litigation, including class and collective actions on wage and hour matters and discrimination claims. Ranked by Chambers USA, Mark is hailed as “a fabulous lawyer, handling interesting and complex cases.” Clients “highly recommend him to anyone seeking litigation counsel in the Boston area,” as well as note “he is responsive, pragmatic and team-oriented, and offers excellent legal advice.”

He assists clients with all aspects of employment policies and practices, including hiring, termination, leaves, accommodation of disabilities, and other matters. Mark also handles diverse civil litigation, including litigation of noncompetition agreements, ERISA matters, discrimination and wrongful termination litigation in federal and state courts; proceedings before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination; wage and hour matters; and labor arbitrations. He is also an experienced appellate attorney both in employment cases and other civil litigation, handling appeals at all levels in the state courts and in the United States Courts of Appeals.

Mark also has substantial experience with traditional labor matters. He regularly represents employers in a variety of industries, including a number of newspaper and media companies, in collective bargaining, practice before the NLRB, labor arbitrations, union organizing campaigns, and day-to-day advice on administration of collective bargaining agreements. He regularly advises clients in both union and non-union settings on diligence matters in corporate acquisitions and financings. He also has experience on behalf of securities firms in arbitrations before the NASD and NYSE of customer and employee complaints.

Mark also practices on behalf of newspapers and other media in newsroom litigation, including libel defense and representation of reporters under subpoena, and has substantial experience in litigation involving access to sealed records and judicial proceedings on behalf of media companies.

Before joining Proskauer, Mark was a trial attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, where he was lead counsel in major litigation for over two dozen federal agencies, ranging from the U.S. Air Force, the CIA, and the U.S. Secret Service to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Mark regularly writes and lectures on employment-related matters, including, for instance, MCLE’s Representing Clients Before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.

In his spare time, Mark is an experienced computer programmer, conversant in C, C++, and other languages. He has ported software between computer operating systems and has published several commercial computer games.