New provisions to Leave Policy, Child Labor, and Wage & Hours  

Massachusetts has revised its mandatory Wage and Hour Laws poster to include a new provision that allows certain employees to take up to 24 hours of unpaid leave annually to participate in school activities for their children.

The Small Necessities Leave Act also allows qualified employees to take unpaid leave to take their children or an elderly relative to medical and dental appointments.

The new leave policy applies if an employer has 50 or more employees if an employee has been on the job for 12 months or more and worked for at least 1,250 hours during the previous year.

The “Child Labor” section of the Massachusetts labor law poster has also been revised to include a new restriction that prohibits minors 16 and 17 years of age from driving a motor vehicle or forklift or working 30 feet or more off the ground.

A previous restriction against 16 and 17-year-old minors from working around blast furnaces or any place where explosives are manufactured is no longer listed on the poster.

The Massachusetts Wage and Hour Laws poster also includes a new section that allows employees to be compensated for certain travel time. Employees who are required to work at a location other than their normal job site must be paid for all travel time in excess of their ordinary travel time between home and work.

The “Employee’s Right to Sue” section of the poster has been changed to include new information about lawsuit filing requirements and time limits for bringing an action against an employer.

The new Massachusetts labor law poster is now available at Poster Compliance Center, postercompliance.com