6 Steps to Minimize Your Risk: Massachusetts Appeals Court Broadly Interprets "Joint Employment"
The Massachusetts Appeals Court just rendered a decision that significantly broadens when one entity may be found to be a “joint employer” of another entity’s employees under state wage laws. The June 13 decision, coupled with guidance from an earlier decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, establishes a comprehensive framework you can follow to determine whether you might face joint employment trouble. What does your business need to know about the increasing likelihood you could be considered a joint employer – and what are six best practices you can follow to minimize your risk? How Did We Get Here? In Tran v. Jennings Road Management Corp., the Massachusetts Appeals Court agreed that Jennings Road Management Corp. (JRM) was a joint employer of the plaintiff, Sakiroh Tran, a parts advisor at a Boston-area car dealership. The court’s June 13 opinion applied the totality of the circumstances test from a 2021 Supreme Judicial Court opinion that we covered here, which...