Massachusetts Attorney General's Office Issues Final Regulations Under Earned Sick Time Law

On Friday, June 19, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General released the final version of regulations implementing the Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law, which requires all private-sector employers to provide their Massachusetts employees with up to 40 hours of sick time per calendar year. The final regulations incorporate feedback from the business community, employment attorneys and other interested parties concerning the Attorney General's earlier-issued proposed regulations. As we noted when Massachusetts voters approved the Earned Sick Time Law last fall, the requirements of this statute will impact every employer in the Commonwealth. While ambiguities remain, the final regulations provide some measure of clarity for employers attempting to modify or create valid sick leave policies before the law goes into effect on July 1, 2015. A few of the key elements of the newly issued regulations are highlighted below.