Most employees in Massachusetts are employees-at-will—meaning that they can quit or be terminated for any reason, or for no reason at all. This lack of job security may be unsettling to many employees, especially in these difficult economic times. However, in the event that an individual loses their job, they may take some comfort in the fact that certain benefits could be guaranteed to them by their employer’s personnel handbook.
Employee handbooks generally to not contractually guarantee an employee’s job. Yet, the Supreme Judicial Court has held that where the handbook promises that certain benefits will be paid when employment ends, the employer may be obligated to pay those benefits.
The benefits are due to the employee because of the services rendered to the employer. See LeMaitre v. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, 452 Mass. 753 (2008). Whether the employer’s promise to pay certain benefits is legally enforceable depends on the context of the preparation and distribution of the employment policies. If you have questions about an employer’s legal obligation to pay benefits, you should contact an attorney.
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Posted by: lucas law | May 27, 2009 at 12:06 AM