Wage Complaints

• 1). Visit the Massachusetts Attorney General's website to begin the complaint process. Find out what the filing process requires from you. The Attorney General reviews all wage complaints for public entities. You can print complaint forms right from the website.
  
  
• 2). Pick the correct complaint form. One is the Non-payment of Wage and Workplace Complaint Form and the other is the Prevailing Wage Rate Complaint Form. Again, these forms are for complaints lodged against public employers. Non-payment of wages is for unpaid work, unpaid overtime pay, unpaid earned vacation time, unpaid tips, unpaid meal time or compensation not in accordance with state minimum wage.
  
  
• 3). Complete the complaint form and return it to the General Attorney's office. Incomplete forms will not be processed. Ensure you provide all information, including the type of work you do, the location address of the job and employer information, such as the company name and a complete address with zip code. You may also need to attach photo copies of pay stubs and wage records.
  
  
• 4). Wait to hear from the Attorney General's office. Be aware that the office does not act on every complaint and may not process the form for weeks after you file. The Attorney General may forward a copy of the complaint to your employer. You may sue the employer in civil court to gain missing wages 90 days after the date of your complaint.
  
  

Prohibited Practices

• 1). Visit the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations, or DLR, a branch of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The DLR manages labor complaints about both public and private businesses that conduct prohibited practices. Ask for a list of requirements and an outline of the complaint process from the DLR.
  
  
• 2). Hire an attorney. Complaints about prohibited practices are serious charges that can lead to a subpoena, court appearances and the need to serve a copy of the charges on a representative of the business charged with the offense. The assistance of a lawyer can help you manage this process.
  
  
• 3). Pick the form that fits the employer the complaint is about. You will be choosing the correct Charge of Prohibited Practice form. There are two forms available -- one for a public employer and one for a private employer. Public employers are state, county or local government-run businesses and agencies. Private companies are owned by private citizens or are corporations, LLCs or LLPs.
  
  
• 4). Complete and return the form to the DLR. Incomplete forms will not be processed. You must identify the section and subsections of Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 150A that you believe the business is violating. You must also write a summary about the complaint that outlines specific names, dates and addresses pertaining to the violation.
  
  
• 5). Wait to hear from the DLR. Once the DLR receives your complaint, the department will review it for compliance. Once the DLR completes the review process and believes that the complaint does meet all necessary requirements, it will send you a notice that the complaint is in their system. DLR will also send a notice stating the time, date and location for the in-person investigation conference. This is the beginning of the investigation process.