The Supreme Judicial Court's decision in Reuter v. City of Methuen, dated April 4, 2022, has heightened the consequences of late wage payments. Employers must now bear the cost of any delay by paying triple damages, regardless of the cause, placing a considerable burden on them. While this particular case dealt with the payment of unused vacation time, the precedent could apply to any delayed wage or commission payment, whether at termination or as part of regular payroll cycles. Examples of late payments that could be subject to triple damages:
Final paycheck and payment of accrued and unused vacation at termination;
Wages paid more than six days after the close of a pay period;
Earned commissions paid more than six days after the close of the pay period in which they were earned.
Learn more about recovering for late or unpaid wages by visiting us at Recovering for Late or Unpaid Wages in Massachusetts.