Boston employees are covered by two state-level paid leave regimes: Paid Family and Medical Leave under MGL Ch. 175M and Earned Sick Time under MGL Ch. 149 §148C; Boston cannot enact stricter local mandates.
Massachusetts PFML provides up to 26 weeks combined of paid family and medical leave, funded through a payroll contribution split between employees and employers with 25+ workers, and administered by the Department of Family and Medical Leave. Earned Sick Time, enacted by 2014 ballot Question 4, requires employers of 11 or more employees to provide paid sick time at one hour earned per 30 worked, capped at 40 hours annually; smaller employers must provide unpaid sick time. Massachusetts preempts local sick time laws, so Boston cannot mandate additional accruals beyond the state floor.
Violations are enforced by the MA Attorney General and the Department of Family and Medical Leave; remedies include back wages, treble damages, civil penalties, retaliation findings, and administrative fines under MGL Ch. 149 §150.
Boston, MA
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Boston, MA
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See how Boston's paid leave preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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