The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has issued the final regulations and corresponding employee notice for the Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law, which goes into effect on July 1, 2015.
Summary of the Law
The Earned Sick Time law requires employers to provide all employees, including part-time, seasonal and temporary employees, one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 40 hours per year.
Employers with 11 or more employees must provide paid sick time, while those with fewer than 11 employees must provide unpaid sick time.
Employee Notice Requirement
The state has provided an employee notice that must be posted by employers. Click here to download a copy of this notice. According to the regulations, employers must:
- Post this notice “in a conspicuous place accessible to employees“
- “Provide a hard copy or electronic copy of this notice to all eligible employees, or include the employer’s policy on earned sick time or the employer’s allowable substitute paid leave policy in any employee manual or handbook“
Information on the Final Regulations
The law goes into effect on July 1st, 2015. However, the final regulations do maintain the temporary safe harbor provision for employers that have an existing and sufficient paid time off or paid sick leave policy in place.
You may download the final regulations here >>
I’m pleased to also share a helpful compliance bulletin from Hirsch Roberts Weinstein. David Wilson, who is a founding partner at that firm, spoke at our recent seminar about this law. Within their bulletin, they cover topics such as:
- How this new law works concurrently with FMLA and other leave laws
- Which employers are eligible for the Safe Harbor
- How employers may track and record accrual
- And more…
Click here to download the bulletin from Hirsch Roberts Weinstein >>
I hope that you find this brief update helpful. If you have any questions, please reach out to the CBG Benefits’ team at 781-759-1222.