Press Release  AG Campbell Releases Annual Labor Day Report Highlighting Actions To Protect Massachusetts Workers

BOSTON — Today, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell released the Office's annual Labor Day Report, highlighting the efforts taken to ensure that workers in the Commonwealth are treated justly and have access to fair pay, benefits, and safe working conditions. 

“Every case we bring – whether it’s on behalf of a single person or a workforce of thousands – puts employers on notice that Massachusetts is serious about protecting our residents at work,” said AG Campbell. “This year my office has made massive strides, but our work is not done. We will continue to fight for our workforce, guaranteeing that the Commonwealth remains a leader in protecting workers’ rights.” 

FY2024 By the Numbers 

In Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2024), which runs from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, AG Campbell’s Fair Labor Division (FLD) took civil enforcement actions against 638 employers, helping 40,370 workers across Massachusetts and assessing more than $31.5 million in restitution and penalties. 

The retail/sales industries faced the highest rate of enforcement actions (26.2%), and Failure to Make Timely Payments was the most common type of violation (487 citations). 

Fighting Exploitation 

In December, the Office secured its first conviction for labor trafficking since An Act Relative to the Commercial Exploitation of People was enacted in 2012, establishing human trafficking for sexual servitude and forced labor as criminal acts under state law. 

Additionally, as part of AG Campbell’s efforts to fight exploitation among vulnerable populations, FLD successfully spearheaded a coalition of 27 labor enforcement agencies in calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to extend the protection period of the Deferred Action Program for noncitizen victims and witnesses of labor violations from two years to four years. Some labor investigations may take several years to reach a resolution, and worker witnesses and victims losing their protections against deportation during that time could seriously jeopardize investigations and result in employers who break the law going unpunished. Shortly after receiving the letter, DHS announced it would extend the program’s period of protection from deportation from two years to four years. 

Youth Jobs  

Another one of AG Campbell’s top priorities, as noted in her strategic plan, is to promote safe and healthy employment opportunities for youth. In FY2024, FLD assessed more than $3.6 million against employers that violated the Commonwealth’s child labor laws, $2.7 million of which was related to thousands of child labor violations at various Dunkin’ franchises. In June, the AGO’s Healthy Summer Youth Jobs grant program, which uses healthcare and child labor settlement money to provide grants for health-focused employment for young people, awarded nearly $375,000 of this funding to more than 30 organizations across the Commonwealth. 

Cases of Interest  

Notably, FLD reached a historic settlement with Uber and Lyft, resolving the Office’s multi-year misclassification litigation against these companies. The agreement puts a stop to the companies’ efforts to rewrite state employment law and requires them to pay a combined $175 million to the Commonwealth, the vast majority of which will be redistributed back to current and former drivers. 

Additionally, following a multi-year investigation, FLD reached a settlement with MGM Springfield totaling $6.8 million in restitution and penalties for various wage and hour violations. The 2,036 impacted workers spanned much of the company’s operation, and most were service employees earning hourly wages. 

FLD also issued a series of citations totaling nearly $2.5 million against Concierge Services, Inc., a Plymouth-based company that provides concierge staffing services to high-end properties in the Greater Boston area. The company was found to have committed various wage and hour violations from January 2018 to December 2021, including during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Community Engagement and Education 

In addition to its robust enforcement efforts, the AGO hosted or participated in nearly 200 worker- and employer-focused community engagement events and conducted 206 compliance visits during FY2024. These efforts showcase the Office’s commitment not just to enforcement, but to educating workers and employers about state labor laws and the importance of adhering to them. 

The FLD consists of attorneys, investigators, intake and support staff. The Division enforces state laws regulating the payment of wages, including minimum wage, overtime, prevailing wage, child labor, and earned sick leave. It also protects employees from exploitation and wage theft through strong partnerships and community education.   

Workers who believe that their rights have been violated can call the office’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465. More information about the state’s wage and hour laws is also available in multiple languages at www.mass.gov/ago/fairlabor. 

###