Paid Sick Leave Passes In Massachusetts

On November 4, 2014, voters in Massachusetts passed a ballot initiative that entitles employees in Massachusetts to earn and use sick time. Massachusetts now joins Connecticut and California as the states with mandatory sick leave laws. The Massachusetts ballot measure, which will take effect on July 1, 2015, provides that employees who work for employers having 11 or more employees may earn and use up to 40 hours of paid sick time per calendar year. Employees working for employers with 10 or fewer employees may earn and use up to 40 hours of unpaid sick time per calendar year.

Employee Use of Sick Time

An employee may use earned sick time to miss work as follows:

1. to care for a physical or mental illness, injury or medical condition affecting the employee or the employee's child, spouse, parent, or parent of a spouse;