Posted by Joanne Goldstein, Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development
We’re pleased to announce today that the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, the Joint Enforcement Task Force on the Underground Economy and Employee Misclassification, and the Attorney General’s Office recovered more than $141,000 in outstanding revenue for Massachusetts’ unemployment system and ordered numerous subcontractors working at Pulte Homes sites in Eastern MA to pay more than $400,000 in unpaid wages and penalties.
We recognize that most businesses maintain good business practices. Unfortunately, these are the very businesses that are hurt by those that do not. We scrutinize businesses that misclassify workers, fail to pay employees for service, and evade contributions to the state’s unemployment insurance fund. These are unacceptable strategies to gain competitive advantage.
Legally, businesses need to carry workers compensation and unemployment insurance coverage. They put employees at risk and they take advantage of taxpayers when they fail to do so. As I mentioned to the press, we will not tolerate employers or developers who proceed without coverage.
We welcome information and tips that help us open investigations such as this. Workers who believe that their rights have been violated are strongly urged to call the Attorney General’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465, or the Joint Task Force Referral Line at (877) 965-2267, or visit the Joint Task Force website at http://www.mass.gov/lwd/eolwd/jtf/ to submit a complaint via email. More information about the wage and hour laws is also available in multiple languages at the Attorney General’s Workplace Rights website at www.massworkrights.com.
For more information about the outcome of this investigation, please see our press release at http://www.mass.gov/lwd/press-releases/actions-against-contractors-on-pulte-homes-.html.
