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Massachusetts sets its own deadline, its own penalty, and its own rule on unused vacation. Here is what the statute says, what it is worth to you, and where to file if the money never arrives.
An employee who is discharged must be paid in full on the day of discharge (M.G.L. c. 149, § 148). Massachusetts is one of the few states that requires same-day payment.
An employee who leaves voluntarily must be paid in full on the next regular payday; if there is no regular payday, on the following Saturday.
Massachusetts treats accrued, unused vacation as wages: it must be paid at separation. A policy can cap accrual going forward, but it cannot erase time already earned.
Commissions that have been definitely determined and are due are wages under § 148 and must be paid on the same schedule; the statute applies to commissions 'so far as apt'.
M.G.L. c. 149, § 150: a prevailing employee recovers the unpaid wages plus treble damages, reasonable attorney's fees and costs. Massachusetts is one of the strongest late-pay statutes in the country on the employee side.
On $2,000.00 of unpaid wages, a 3× provision would expose the employer to about $6,000.00 in total. Treat that number as leverage in the letter, not as a promise: a court or agency decides what is actually owed, and the penalty provisions usually require the employer to have acted wilfully or without good cause.
File with the Massachusetts Attorney General — Fair Labor Division, which handles wage claims administratively, usually at no cost. The alternative is small claims court, where the limit for an individual in Massachusetts is $7,000. Both routes go better with a dated written demand and a certified-mail receipt, because the first question either forum asks is when the employer knew.
An employee who is discharged must be paid in full on the day of discharge (M.G.L. c. 149, § 148). Massachusetts is one of the few states that requires same-day payment.
An employee who leaves voluntarily must be paid in full on the next regular payday; if there is no regular payday, on the following Saturday.
Massachusetts treats accrued, unused vacation as wages: it must be paid at separation. A policy can cap accrual going forward, but it cannot erase time already earned.
Two routes: file a wage claim with the Massachusetts Attorney General — Fair Labor Division (https://www.mass.gov/orgs/fair-labor-division), or sue in small claims court where an individual's claim limit is $7,000. A dated written demand sent first is what makes either route easier, because it fixes the date the employer was on notice.
Only official sources are used: the state labor agency, the statute itself, and where relevant the U.S. Department of Labor. Third-party summary sites are deliberately excluded because they disagree with each other on penalty formulas.
Reviewed 2026-11-03 · reviewed again every 90 days.
being fired · resigning · a layoff · unused PTO · unpaid commissions
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