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Employment Law
E-ALERT
May 2015

Some Massachusetts Employers Granted Temporary Reprieve From Sick Leave Law

In November 2014, we reported on the Massachusetts Sick Leave law, scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2015 (view alert here).

Attorney General Maura Healey has announced a temporary six-month reprieve from that law for employers with paid time off policies in existence as of May 1, 2015. Employers who provide employees the right to use at least 30 hours of paid time off during 2015 will be considered in compliance with the new law regarding those employees provided with the with the right to use such paid time off. To remain in compliance with the sick time law, any paid time off used from July 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015 must be job protected leave and subject to the law’s non-retaliation and non-interference provisions. All employers operating under this safe harbor provision must revise their paid time off policy to conform with the new Massachusetts Sick Leave law by January 1, 2016.

If you have any questions about updating your leave policies and otherwise complying with the law, please contact one of the attorneys in our Employment Law Practice.

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