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| Chapter 151A (Massachusetts unemployment law) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Chapter 151A (Massachusetts unemployment law) |
| Jurisdiction | Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
| Enacted | 1935 |
| Status | in force |
Chapter 151A (Massachusetts unemployment law) governs unemployment insurance benefits, eligibility, and administration in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It establishes the framework for benefits, employer contributions, claims procedures, and appeals administered by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and adjudicated through the state adjudicatory system. The statute interacts with federal statutes and programs and has been shaped by judicial decisions, executive actions, and legislative amendments.
Chapter 151A creates a statutory unemployment insurance system intended to provide temporary wage replacement to eligible unemployed workers in Boston, Springfield, Worcester, and other cities within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It delegates administration to the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, aligns with provisions of the Social Security Act and Federal Unemployment Tax Act, and coordinates with programs overseen by the United States Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service. The law’s purpose has been interpreted in opinions from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, informed by precedents such as decisions from the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and rulings involving entities like Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Eligibility under Chapter 151A depends on insured wages earned in covered employment in counties including Suffolk County, Middlesex County, and Hampden County, meeting base period and earnings thresholds often referenced in decisions involving employers like Raytheon Technologies and General Electric. Benefit calculations use formulas comparable to those in New York and California, determining weekly benefit amounts, maximum duration, and partial benefit rules. Specific disqualifications address voluntary quits, misconduct, and availability for suitable work, with dispute examples involving employers such as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Starbucks Corporation. Coordination with federal emergency benefits has involved statutes like the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and rulings that reference agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Claimants file initial and continued claims through systems managed by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, with processes influenced by administrative practices seen in states such as Texas and Florida. The application requires wage records from employers like UPS and United Parcel Service, verification from payroll providers, and documentation comparable to records maintained by entities like Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration. Timeframes for filing, waiting periods, and notice requirements are subject to statutory deadlines that have been litigated in cases before the Massachusetts Appeals Court and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Employers subject to Chapter 151A, including entities such as General Motors, Amazon, and nonprofit institutions like Massachusetts General Hospital, must register, report wages, remit contributions to the state trust fund, and notify employees of benefit programs. Contribution rates are experience-rated and comparable to systems in states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with solvency measures and taxable wage bases determined through actuarial methods used by agencies such as the United States Department of Labor. Employer liability for benefit charges can be contested in administrative proceedings involving employers including Target Corporation and Costco Wholesale Corporation.
Disputes under Chapter 151A are resolved through adjudicatory hearings conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and appealed to the Board of Review and then to the Massachusetts Appeals Court or Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Hearings follow procedures influenced by administrative law principles applied in cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and may involve representation by counsel from organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union or legal clinics at Boston University School of Law and Harvard Law School. Decisions consider testimony, employer records from firms such as Sears, Roebuck and Co. and statutory interpretation consistent with precedents involving agencies like the National Labor Relations Board.
Chapter 151A contains provisions addressing fraudulent claims, false statements, and employer noncompliance, enforced through audits, criminal referrals to district attorneys in jurisdictions like Middlesex County and Suffolk County, and civil penalties similar to enforcement practices involving the Department of Justice and State Attorney General of Massachusetts. Penalties may include disqualification, restitution, fines, and criminal prosecution with investigatory cooperation from agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation when multi-jurisdictional schemes involve employers like Uber Technologies, Inc. or tax preparers.
Enacted amid broader national developments in the New Deal era, Chapter 151A has been amended over decades in response to economic crises, wartime labor shifts, and federal policy changes affecting programs like those under the Social Security Act and emergency statutes such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Legislative reforms in the Massachusetts General Court have adjusted benefit formulas, contribution rates, and administrative structures, influenced by landmark events and institutions including the Great Depression, World War II, and modern fiscal initiatives debated in sessions involving figures from the Massachusetts Governor's office and committees equivalent to those in the United States Congress.