Legal Question in Employment Law in Massachusetts

"Emplyee Bonus"

The company I work for sent an email stating any

emplyee referrals hired and was emplyeed for 3

months would receive a $2500 bonus. I referred

some one and she left after 3 1/2 months. They

had not given me my check and now refuse to do

so. Is that legal. I have everything to prove the

duration of her emplyment and the email stating I

would receive $2500 when she had been here 3

months.


Asked on 9/27/00, 4:33 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Evan Fray-Witzer Law Office of Evan Fray-Witzer

Bonuses

The short answer is, no, what they have done is not legal. A bonus is considered a "wage" under the wage statute (G.L. c. 149, s148). The larger question though is how much is it worth to you to go after the bonus? The attorney general's office will try to help you get the bonus if you ask them to (or you could hire a private attorney, but that might not be worth the cost to you). The problem, of course, is that this will not set up particularly good relations between you and your employer. Technically, they cannot fire you for exercising your rights under the wages statute, but employers often manage to come up with other reasons to get rid of people they perceive to be "trouble-makers."

Good luck.

Evan

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Answered on 10/26/00, 10:06 am


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