A new Massachusetts state law has gone into effect that requires covered employers to disclose the pay range for positions at their company, and to send their Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Data Reports to the state.

The business and contract attorneys at the Katz Law Group are helping businesses in central Massachusetts comply with the new law.

Massachusetts' Wage Transparency Act

The Massachusetts governor signed the Act Relative to Salary Range Transparency into law in July, 2024. Found at Mass. Gen. Laws c. 149, § 105F, the act requires “covered employers” to do two things:

1. Send their most recent EEO reports to the state, in addition to the federal government, and
2. Disclose wage ranges for positions upon request.

The Attorney General's Office held webinar trainings about these compliance requirements on March 6 and April 8, 2025. The April 8 webinar is still available for review.

EEO Data Reports

Under the law, covered employers must send their EEO Data Reports to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, in addition to the federal EEO agency.

A “covered employer” for this aspect of the law is one with 100 or more employees.

The schedule and deadline depends on the type of EEO report that gets filed:

Wage Rate Disclosure

Starting on October 29, 2025, the Act also requires “covered employers” to establish and disclose the pay ranges in job postings and to employees. A position's “pay range” is “the annual salary range or hourly wage range that the employer reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for such a position at that time.”

For this aspect of the law, a “covered employer” is one with 25 or more employees.

Employees are entitled to know the pay range for a position:

• When applying for it
• On promotion, transfer, or starting a new position
• Whenever they request it

According to business lawyer David S. Katz, “this wage disclosure requirement is the real meat of the new law. It is designed to give workers the information they need to make wages fairer.”

How to Count Employees

A worker counts toward the employee threshold for complying with the Wage Transparency Act if they got paid for services and their primary place of work is in Massachusetts. This can include remote workers who are based in Massachusetts but who work for an out-of-state employer, as well as remote workers who are out-of-state but who report to a worksite in Massachusetts.

Penalties for Noncompliance

Failing to comply with either the wage disclosure portion of the law or the EEO date reporting carries the following consequences:

• A warning for a first violation
• A fine of up to $500 for the second violation
• A fine of up to $1,000 for the third violation
• A fine of up to $7,500 for a fourth violation, if it was accidental, or $15,000 if it was done on purpose (Under Mass. Gen. Laws c. 149, § 27C(b)(1)-(2))

Massachusetts Business Lawyers at the Katz Law Group

If you have questions about the new Massachusetts law or want to make sure your company is complying with it, call the Katz Law Group at (508) 480-8202 or contact them online.