Massachusetts Creates Earned Sick Time Poster and Updates Fair Employment Poster

The latest required changes to the Massachusetts labor law poster are on the Earned Sick Time and Fair Employment posters.

The new Earned Sick Time poster highlights that employees have the right to earn and take sick leave under the new Earned Sick Time Law beginning on July 1st. This new law covers all employees, including full-time workers, part-time workers, seasonal employees, and temporary employees.

Employees can earn and use up to 40 hours of sick leave per year if they work enough hours, and any unused sick time at the end of the year can rollover up to 40 hours. Employees begin earning sick time on their first day of work and may begin using earned sick time 90 days after starting work.

Additionally, employers are required to offer paid sick time if they have 11 or more employees, and leave may be unpaid for 10 or fewer employees. An employee can use sick time when the employee or the employee’s child, spouse, parent, or parent of the spouse is sick, has a medical appointment, or has to address the effects of domestic violence.

In order to use sick time, employees must notify their employer before they use sick time, except for in an emergency. Employers may also require employees to use a reasonable notification system that the employer creates. Employees out of work for 3 consecutive days, or employees using sick time within 2 weeks of leaving their jobs, may be required by their employer to provide documentation from a medical provider.

In addition to the new Earned Sick Time labor law poster, Massachusetts has updated the Fair Employment poster. This poster, which applies to employers of 6 or more, adds new information about Parental Leave (formerly Maternal Leave) which employers must now provide for both male and female employees. Also, there is a new section that applies to domestic workers.

We are publishing an updated MA poster with this latest change. For more information about the Massachusetts labor law poster, or to learn more about our OneSystem with free automatic updates, go to the Poster Compliance Center Massachusetts labor law poster page or call 1-800-322-3636.