BOSTON — Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has released the annual Labor Day Report from her office, outlining efforts to ensure fair treatment, pay, benefits, and safe working conditions for workers across the Commonwealth.
“Each case we pursue demonstrates that Massachusetts is committed to protecting its workers,” stated AG Campbell. “This year, our office has made significant progress, but our mission continues. We will persist in advocating for our workforce, ensuring the Commonwealth remains a leader in safeguarding workers’ rights.”
In Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2024), which spans from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, AG Campbell’s Fair Labor Division (FLD) initiated civil enforcement actions against 638 employers, aiding 40,370 workers statewide and assessing over $31.5 million in restitution and penalties. The retail and sales sectors faced the highest enforcement rate at 26.2%, with the primary violation being Failure to Make Timely Payments, resulting in 487 citations.
The office achieved a significant milestone in December by securing its first conviction for labor trafficking under new state laws, which criminalized human trafficking for both sexual servitude and forced labor. Furthermore, AG Campbell’s initiatives to combat exploitation included leading a coalition of 27 labor enforcement agencies to persuade the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to lengthen the Deferred Action Program’s protection for noncitizen victims and witnesses of labor violations from two years to four years. This extension is critical, as investigations often take years to finalize, and losing protections during this time could impede justice.
Promoting safe job opportunities for youth is another priority for AG Campbell. During FY2024, FLD imposed over $3.6 million in penalties on employers breaching child labor laws, with $2.7 million linked to violations at various Dunkin’ franchises. In a bid to support youth employment, the AGO allocated nearly $375,000 from healthcare and child labor settlements through its Healthy Summer Youth Jobs grant program to more than 30 organizations statewide.
Among notable cases, FLD reached a historic settlement with Uber and Lyft after a lengthy misclassification litigation, requiring the companies to pay a combined $175 million to the Commonwealth, mostly to benefit current and former drivers. Additionally, a settlement with MGM Springfield resulted in $6.8 million in restitution and penalties for wage and hour violations affecting 2,036 workers, mostly service employees. FLD also issued citations totaling nearly $2.5 million against Concierge Services, Inc. for wage violations during the pandemic.
The AGO remains engaged in community outreach, hosting around 200 events aimed at workers and employers and conducting 206 compliance visits in FY2024 to educate about state labor laws and compliance.
The Fair Labor Division, comprising attorneys and investigators, is dedicated to enforcing laws that regulate wages, including minimum wage, overtime, child labor, and earned sick leave. Workers suspecting rights violations can contact the Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465 and find more information on wage and hour laws in various languages at www.mass.gov/ago/fairlabor.