Massachusetts (MA) Overtime Labor & Pay Laws

The Fair Labor Standards Act states that most employees should receive 1.5 times their regular pay rate for hours worked over 40 in a single workweek. Massachusetts overtime law does not require overtime pay for hours worked over 8 in a single workweek.

Under Massachusetts overtime law, most employees must be paid one and one-half times their regular hourly rate for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a given work week. State law does not require overtime after eight hours in a day.

Some workers, including professionals, executives and seasonal employees, are exempt from overtime pay. If an employee is exempt from overtime pay under Massachusetts overtime law, he or she should consult federal overtime law to determine whether they are owed overtime. For more information on overtime law in Massachusetts, visit the Mass. Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

The minimum wage in Massachusetts is $11 per hour starting January 1, 2017 for most workers. Some, like those working in agriculture, are subject to different standards.

The tipped minimum wage in Massachusetts is currently $3.35 per hour. A tipped employee can be defined as a worker who makes more than $20 per month in tips. Tipped employees must be informed of the tipped minimum wage law, must make at least the minimum wage when combining tips and direct wages, and must retain all tips or have their tips distributed through a legitimate tip-pooling system.

This means your employer must make up for any wages you don’t recover from your tips. For more information, view the Massachusetts Department of Labor's overtime and minimum wage page.

Losing out on your hard-earned cash is unacceptable, and if it’s been happening to you, our attorneys in Massachusetts might be able to help. Fill out our risk-free, no-cost case evaluation form to start seeking answers today.