Millions Recovered
For Unpaid Workers
Massachusetts law makes triple damages MANDATORY for wage violations — no excuses accepted. If you're owed overtime, you may be owed three times that.
No fees unless we win. We only get paid when you do.
Get an estimate of what you're owed in just 60 seconds. This calculator is based on federal FLSA laws and includes liquidated damages (double your unpaid wages).
Massachusetts is one of the only states where treble damages are automatic. Under M.G.L. c. 149 § 150, an employer who fails to pay wages owes three times the amount — and "we made an honest mistake" is not a defense. Combined with a 3-year lookback and a $15.00 minimum wage, Massachusetts is one of the strongest states in America for wage claims.
| Provision | Massachusetts Law | Federal FLSA | Which Applies? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overtime Threshold | 40 hours/week (c. 151 § 1A) | 40 hours/week | Same standard |
| Minimum Wage | $15.00/hr | $7.25/hr | Massachusetts (2x federal) |
| Damages | MANDATORY treble (3x) damages | 2x (with good-faith defense) | Massachusetts (automatic 3x) |
| Statute of Limitations | 3 years | 2 years (3 if willful) | Massachusetts (3 years always) |
| Tipped Minimum | $6.75/hr (must reach $15.00 with tips per shift) | $2.13/hr | Massachusetts (3x higher) |
| Sunday/Holiday Rules | Blue Laws govern retail openings; premium pay phased out 2023 but voluntariness protections remain | No equivalent | Massachusetts only |
M.G.L. c. 149 § 150
Since 2008, triple damages are mandatory for wage violations in Massachusetts. The employer's intent is irrelevant — even an honest payroll mistake triples.
$20,000 in unpaid overtime = a $60,000 claim, plus attorney fees.
Reuter v. City of Methuen (SJC 2022)
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that even wages paid late trigger automatic treble damages. Payment after you file suit doesn't erase liability.
M.G.L. c. 149 § 148B
Massachusetts uses a strict ABC test — you are an employee unless the company proves ALL three prongs, including that your work is "outside the usual course" of its business. Most 1099 arrangements fail this test.
M.G.L. c. 149 § 152A
Only wait staff, service employees, and service bartenders may share tips. Managers or the house taking any portion violates the Tips Act — with treble damages.
29 C.F.R. Part 541 + c. 151 § 1A
"Assistant manager" titles in retail and food service don't eliminate overtime rights. You must actually perform exempt duties — not just hold the title.
M.G.L. c. 149 § 148A
Firing or punishing you for asserting wage rights creates a separate claim — also subject to treble damages.
Violations: Boston's hospitals and labs: automatic lunch deductions, off-the-clock charting, misclassified research staff, unpaid mandatory training.
Violations: Tip pool abuse under § 152A, service charges kept by the house, unpaid prep/closing time, sub-minimum shifts where tips don't close the gap.
Violations: 1099 misclassification under the strict ABC test — drivers and couriers doing the company's core business are employees, owed overtime.
Violations: Independent contractor fraud, day rates without overtime, unpaid travel between sites, prevailing wage violations on public jobs.
Violations: Assistant manager misclassification, off-the-clock opening/closing, working through breaks at chain stores across the Commonwealth.
Violations: Franchise misclassification schemes, unpaid travel between buildings, hours shaved off timecards.
1.5x your regular rate for all hours over 40 per week
Triple the unpaid amount — automatic, no good-faith defense (c. 149 § 150)
The employer pays your legal fees separately — not from your recovery
Stolen tips and illegal pool distributions — also trebled
If you're owed $15,000 in unpaid overtime over 3 years:
Massachusetts gives you 3 years to file — and the clock is tolled while a complaint is pending with the Attorney General. Every payday that passes, your oldest week falls off.
⚠️ Don't wait — you lose older claims as time passes!
Massachusetts pairs the nation's harshest wage-theft penalty — automatic treble damages — with the strictest independent contractor test and a full 3-year lookback.
💼 Free Case Review — No Fee Unless We Win
Use the calculator above to estimate what you're owed — then remember Massachusetts may triple it.
Expert legal review of your overtime claim. No fees unless we win. Use the calculator above to estimate your recovery, then contact us for a detailed case analysis.