Reid M. Wakefield
Of Counsel
Legal Administrative Assistant Lisa J. Gallo
Reid also regularly advises employers on day-to-day labor and employment issues and drafts employment agreements, severance agreements, handbooks, and workplace policies. Additionally, Reid conducts internal investigations for clients in workplace matters, including at the executive level.
Reid was included in the 2024 edition of the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America™ for his work in Litigation – Labor and Employment.
Prior to joining the Firm, Reid served as Commission Counsel for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and he previously worked in private practice in Tallahassee, Florida, as well as with the Florida Office of the Attorney General.
Bar & Court Admissions
- Massachusetts
- Florida
- U.S. District Court for Massachusetts
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- Florida State University JD (2009)
- University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth BA, magna cum laude (2006)
Publications/Presentations
- “Lessons Learned from the Trenches: Best Practices to Ensure Effective Performance Management and, when such practices fail, to Conduct Employment Terminations so as to Minimize Organizational Risk,” Mirick O’Connell Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Annual Seminar (May 4, 2023)
- Quoted in “Employer 'Hounding' Worker for His Baby's Birth Certificate Sparks Debate,” Newsweek, March 9, 2023
- “Massachusetts "CROWN" Law Prohibits Discrimination Based on Hairstyle,” Mirick O’Connell Client Alert, July 28, 2022
- "COVID-19 Employment Legal Issues," Massachusetts Municipal Auditors and Accountants Association Fall Conference (November 4, 2021)
- “Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave – Benefits Extended,” Mirick O’Connell Client Alert, October 1, 2021
- “What Employers Need to Know About President Biden’s ‘Path Out of the Pandemic’ COVID-19 Action Plan,” Mirick O’Connell Client Alert, September 14, 2021
- “Massachusetts Emergency COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave,” On Air with Mirick O’Connell legal podcast (June 30, 2021)
- “Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave – Updated Guidance and Resources,” Mirick O’Connell Client Alert, June 15, 2021
- “Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave – Employer Guidance,” Mirick O’Connell Client Alert, June 2, 2021
- Quoted in “What the EEOC’s Updated Covid Guidelines Mean for Business Leaders,” Forbes, May 28, 2021
- "Workplace Investigations in Today's World," Mirick O'Connell Spring Webinar Series (May 21, 2021)
- “US Department of Labor Withdraws Independent Contractor Rule,” Mirick O’Connell‘s Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Law Blog, May 10, 2021
- Quoted in “How Do US Laws Protect LGBTQ Homebuyers From Discrimination,” The Balance, April 23, 2021
- "Discussing Women in Construction," Massachusetts Construction Law Webinar (July 30, 2020)
- “Fair Housing and Housing Discrimination in Massachusetts,” On Air with Mirick O’Connell legal podcast (June 11, 2020)
- “Update on COVID-19 Workplace Health and Safety Enforcement by OSHA and the Massachusetts Attorney General,” Mirick O’Connell Client Alert, May 22, 2020
Professional / Community Affiliations
- Worcester County Bar Association
Navigating Pay Transparency Laws: What Employers Need to Know
Over the last several years, in an effort to close the gender pay gap, several states and localities across the country have enacted pay transparency laws that, generally, require employers of certain sizes with employees in those locations to disclose …
[ load webpage to read more ]Private Employers Take Note: Overbroad Non-Disparagement & Confidentiality Restrictions in Severance Agreements Run Afoul of the National Labor Relations Act
As many employers well know, it is customary to include non-disparagement and confidentiality provisions in severance agreements that prohibit departing employees from (i) making disparaging, critical, or otherwise detrimental comments concerning the employer and (ii) disclosing information concerning the substance, …
[ load webpage to read more ]Is Your Company in Compliance With Executive Order 13706?
In September 2015, Executive Order 13706 was signed, requiring employers that enter into covered contracts with the federal government to provide covered employees with up to seven days (56 hours) of paid sick leave annually, including paid leave allowing for …
[ load webpage to read more ]SJC Finds Public Meeting Comment Restrictions Unconstitutional
Government boards and committees should review their public comment policies following a decision this week by the Supreme Judicial Court holding that a “civility code” violated the Massachusetts Constitution’s Declaration of Rights and the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act. In Barron v. …
[ load webpage to read more ]The FTC’s Proposed Ban On Noncompetes – Predictions
Following his election, President Biden issued “The Biden Plan for Strengthening Worker Organizing, Collective Bargaining and Unions,” in which he promised to work with Congress to “eliminate all non-compete agreements” with very limited exceptions. While a bipartisan bill, the Workforce …
[ load webpage to read more ]Update Policies to Comply with the Massachusetts CROWN Act
At the end of October 2022, the Massachusetts Act Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Natural and Protective Hairstyles (the “CROWN Act”) went into effect. The CROWN Act expands the definition of “race” under Chapter 151B to include “traits historically associated with …
[ load webpage to read more ]2023 Changes in Massachusetts Employment Laws
Beginning January 1, 2023, changes to the Massachusetts Minimum Wage Law, retail premium pay, and Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law take effect. Changes to Minimum Wage & Premium Pay Changes to Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) …
[ load webpage to read more ]Employers Must Remember Their Obligations under the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
The Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (the “Act”), which went into effect on April 1, 2018, amended Massachusetts General Law c. 151B to include “pregnancy or a condition related to pregnancy, including, but not limited to, lactation, or the need …
[ load webpage to read more ]DOL Proposes to Revert the Independent Contractor Analysis to the Employee-Friendly Totality-Of-The-Circumstances Analysis
On October 11, 2022, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a new proposed rule, entitled “Independent Contractor Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act,” for determining whether an individual is an independent contractor or an employee under the Fair Labor …
[ load webpage to read more ]EEOC Issues Updated Guidance Regarding COVID Screening by Employers
On July 12, 2022, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued updated guidance for employers regarding COVID-19 testing and accommodations. Perhaps most impactful, the EEOC altered its position regarding employers testing employees for COVID-19 as part of a mandatory screening prior …
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