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Appeals court hears dispute over Boston 'CHOPS' comp‑time payouts and whether they qualify as wages
Summary
Retired Boston fire management staff and the city dispute whether compensatory days tied to vacation buybacks are contingent benefits or wages under the Massachusetts Wage Act; the city says comp time is contingent and discretionary, while retirees' counsel says practice and forms show payment at retirement and an ambiguity that favors employees.
The appeals panel heard competing interpretations of a Boston personnel contract (the CHOPS arrangement) in a dispute over whether compensatory time granted when firefighters redeemed vacation days is a "wage" under the Massachusetts Wage Act or discretionary contingent compensation.
City counsel Neil Janowitz told the panel that the CHOPS contract plainly tied comp time to an annual vacation redemption election and that comp…
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