Cannabis company to pay $300,000 over payroll violations
A company that runs three cannabis dispensaries in Massachusetts failed to properly pay employees who worked Sunday and holiday shifts, according to the state attorney general’s office.
Theory Wellness, with locations in Great Barrington, Chicopee and Bridgewater, has been ordered to pay $300,000 in restitution and penalties after an eight-month investigation, according to a statement from the office.
Under state law, employees of certain retail businesses are entitled to “premium pay” for working Sundays and certain holidays. In 2021, that rate is 1.2 times their regular hourly rate. That rate will go down to 1.1 next year and will be eliminated in 2023.
The attorney general’s office started investigating in December after getting a complaint from an employee. The state determined that more than 280 Theory Wellness workers did not receive the proper premium pay.