JULY 2026

What Businesses Need To Know

Management Trainings: An Invaluable Investment for Businesses Seeking to Avoid Being Sued

Employment law is constantly evolving as courts issue groundbreaking decisions and new statutes are enacted at both the state and federal level. As a result, regularly conducting employment-related risk management training has become increasingly important for employers. Areas that warrant particular attention include, among others, management best practices, wage-and-hour compliance, workplace harassment prevention, and personnel records management.

Defining Bonus Requirements: Essential to Keeping the Bonus Outside the Massachusetts Wage Act

Riley Grinkis-Tully and Michelle De Oliveira

Failing to clearly define a bonus’s measurable and objective requirements can have significant consequences for employers. This article examines a recent court decision in which an employee successfully argued that a quarterly bonus constituted “wages” under the Massachusetts Wage Act, underscoring the importance of understanding what qualifies as “wages” under the Act, and importantly, why that distinction matters.

National Labor Relations Board Narrows Joint Employer Rule

David Robinson and Lauren Haskins

On February 26, 2026, the National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) published a new final rule that made significant changes concerning the joint employer test (“Final Rule”). The Final Rule reverses the broader, worker-friendly standard established in October 2023 and reinstates the narrower, employer friendly test established in 2020. This Final Rule became effective on February 27, 2026.

PFMLA Retaliation Verdict: Jury Awards $4.7M Against Wayfair

Michelle De Oliveira

On April 27, 2026, a Suffolk Superior Court jury issued what appears to be the first plaintiff-side verdict validating a retaliation claim under the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA). In Boyle v. Wayfair, the jury awarded Plaintiff Mary Boyle approximately $4.7 million on her retaliation claims under the Massachusetts Fair Employment Practices Act (M.G.L. c. 151B) and the PFMLA.

Best Practice Tip

Ensure that your management team is not creating “bad evidence” that could be costly for the business.

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Inside RIW

RIW sponsored and David Robinson and Lauren Haskins attended the John & Abigail Adams Benefit

Adam Gutbezahl spoke on a panel at the Boston Bar Association's Employment Law Conference, addressing the ethical and practical use of AI and its implications for employment law

Michelle De Oliveira and Kimberly Alley co-hosted the Massachusetts Bar Association's Annual Spring Employment Conference

Michelle De Oliveira joined the RIW team in January
RIW sponsored and Kimberly Alley, Bethany Grazio, and Riley Grinkis Tully attended the Pinnacle Awards
Adam Gutbezahl was elevated to shareholder in February
Michelle De Oliveira moderated EEOC Commissioner Kalpana Kotagal’s Keynote Address at the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Annual Labor & Employment Conference
Kimberly Alley moderated the judicial panel at the Massachusetts Bar Association's Annual Labor & Employment Conference
Michelle De Oliveira was named to the MCLE Employment Law Curriculum Advisory Committee
RIW sponsored and Michelle De Oliveira and Adam Gutbezahl attended the Massachusetts Bar Association's Annual Dinner
Michelle De Oliveira led a webinar for the Associated Builders and Contractors of Massachusetts on Employee Misclassification Risks: What Employers Need to Get Right
Adam Gutbezahl presented at Babson College on AI in the Law to Babson College business students
Michelle De Oliveira chaired an MCLE webinar on Responding to Workplace Misconduct Claims
David Robinson moderated the South Shore Chamber of Commerce's Panel of Mayors
Michelle De Oliveira presented on the topic of Top Employment Challenges for Business in 2026 at the 2026 ABC Northeast Regional Conference
Michelle De Oliveira presented on an MCLE webinar, Checklist for Involuntary Employee Separations
RIW sponsored and David Robinson attended the Boston Bar Association's annual Law Day at Fenway
Michelle De Oliveira chaired an MCLE webinar on Best Practices for Crafting & Negotiating Employment Agreements & Contracts
Michelle De Oliveira attended the Wentworth Women in Construction Breakfast