A paid sick leave law approved by legislators last year comes into effect this year. BANNER FILE PHOTO
Massachusetts workers started the new year with extended family vacation benefits and an increase in the minimum wage.
State law, enacted in 2018, began gradually increasing the minimum wage in Massachusetts from $ 11 an hour to $ 15 an hour over a five-year period. From January 1st, 2021 The minimum wage is $ 13.50 per hour. The change also includes tipped employees who can only receive a minimum of $ 5.55 if their tips bring them to $ 13.50 of the state, with the employer making the difference in cases where tips are low.
Thousands of workers will receive a raise in the new year. In 2017 and 2018, community organizations mobilized to pass the law.
The new paid family and sick leave program will be available from January 1st. Employees of companies with 50 or more employees can now apply for various life events through the Mass.gov website: medical leave to treat their own serious illness, family leave to manage family matters while a family member is on active duty abroad, family leave to care for a family member who is an insured service member and family leave to bond with a newborn or newly adopted or cared for child.
Deb Fastino, Executive Director of the Coalition for Social Justice, was instrumental in leading the campaign and lobbying for legislation in support of other organizers and lawmakers. She is co-chair of Raise Up Massachusetts, the coalition that started the campaign and was instrumental in getting it passed.
“[It was] Taken seriously in the legislature and the leadership wanted us to sit down with the business community that was struggling with the idea of us going to the vote, ”said Fastino.
The Massachusetts Communities Action Network was also part of the campaign.
“Ward, work, and religious groups collected 359,000 voter signatures in 2017 and 2018, catapulting a minimum wage of $ 15 and paid vacation for legislation,” said Lew Finfer, co-director of Massachusetts Communities Action Network, in a press release.
The changes come at a crucial time during the COVID-19 emergency, when some jobs don’t offer paid vacation to care for a long-term illness. From July 1, 2021, employees can also apply for leave to take care of any family member in severe health.
Previously, some companies didn’t allow paid vacation leave for parenting at all. Filipe Zamborlini, director of public order at the Rosie Women’s Refuge, said in a press release that he intends to use this new law from January 4th.
“Without the state’s paid family and sick leave program, I couldn’t afford to take more than four weeks to bond with my daughter who was born in September. My job, and that of most people who work in social services, does not offer new parents paid leave beyond the disability, ”Zamborlini said.
This new program applies to most employers unless they have a privately paid family vacation plan that meets or exceeds the state’s paid family and sick leave. Some independent contractors and other professions are also excluded.
“We know this is long overdue,” said Fastino. “Everyone will need that at some point.”
Comments are closed.