Town of Bourne v. Director of the Division of Employment Security

The District Court judge ruled correctly in favor of Bourne. In the Mattapoisett case, the Supreme Judicial Court held that a part-time police officer, hired to work irregular hours on a less than full-time basis as a fill-in for absent regular officers, was not entitled, while so employed, to unemployment compensation benefits from his part-time employer. The court pointed out that part-time employment might be advantageous to an employee as well as to an employer. If G. L. c. 151A, § 29(6), were interpreted to apply to such an employee, “all part-time employees, by definition, would be in…