I am a small business owner, and I am lucky to have many friends and clients who own their own businesses. I have found that regardless of the backgrounds of these friends and clients, the size of their businesses, or their industries, that a common theme exists: a lack of awareness of potential legal pitfalls that employers can face if they aren’t being proactive. This is not to fault my friends and clients. Heck, I’ve even guided fellow attorneys as to employment matters. Here is a non-exhaustive list of things that should be on your legal...

When is the last time that you reviewed your car insurance policy?  If you are like most people, the answer is when you first obtained the policy or perhaps never.  This can mean big headaches if you are ever in a car accident, even a car accident that is someone else’s fault. When looking for car insurance, people are often focused on keeping the premium as low as possible.  Unfortunately, you get what you pay for. Make it your New Year’s resolution to pull out your car insurance policy, and contact your insurance agent to...

As a followup to Attorney Beauregard-Rheaume’s most recent blog, here is a link to the federal government’s answers to commonly asked questions by Employees and Employers as it relates to the new COVID-19 law. Employers, take note that this link also provides the posters you are required to display at your workplace: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic The Law Offices of Beauregard, Burke & Franco is a civil litigation firm specializing in civil rights, business, malpractice, employment, municipal, and personal injury...

The attorneys at Beauregard, Burke & Franco were recently successful in obtaining a recovery for a client in a civil rights case against Bristol Community College. The case resulted in a settlement of $600,000. For more details, read this article from the SouthCoast Standard Times. read more

The highest state court in Massachusetts (Supreme Judicial Court, or “SJC”) decided this week that an employee who has lawfully used marijuana for medical purposes cannot be subject to any adverse action against her by her employer because of her use of marijuana. This is kind of a big deal, given the number of employers who include marijuana as a no-go in their workplace drug policies. This doesn’t mean blanket protection against getting fired after you’ve been smoking weed or ingesting edibles, though. To understand exactly who this...

The law of defamation is of growing importance in the area of employment law. Suits brought by employees against employers now account for one third of all defamation actions. For decades, the courts have tried to balance employees’ need for legal redress when employers disparage their reputations, with employers’ need for the free exchange of information. The law is clear on what is required to prove a defamation claim against an employer. In a nutshell, defamation is a false and unflattering statement about an individual that is...