Wednesday, May 20, 2015

New Developments in MA Earned Sick Leave Law

This week Attorney General Maura Healey announced a safe harbor provision for the  Massachusetts Earned Sick Leave law, providing for a delay in compliance until January 1, 2016.

The safe harbor provision includes:

1.    Employers who had a time off policy (put in place prior to 5/1/15) offering ALL employees 30 or more hours of paid time off in 2015, and
2.    Employers must also ensure that the sick leave is job-protected and abides by the law’s non-retaliation policies.

Those employers who are operating within the safe harbor provision, along with all other employers, will eventually need to be fully compliant with the Earned Sick Leave Law by January 1, 2016.  If your sick leave policy does not follow the guidelines above, you will need to create a policy compliant with Massachusetts’ Earned Sick Leave Law by July 1, 2015.

Ipswich Bay Advisors will keep you updated on any changes to the Earned Sick Leave Law. If you need help determining whether or not your company is in compliance with this law or for help with creating a policy, please contact our office at 978-777-6554.

Thank you.