190th Session Recap: Labor and Workforce Development

190th Session Recap: Labor and Workforce Development

 

H.4640 - An Act relative to minimum wage, paid family medical leave and the sales tax holiday

Overview:

  • Jay was a strong advocate for increasing the minimum wage and for creating paid family leave as a program for Massachusetts and he co-sponsored legislation to accomplish these goals.  Unfortunately, these provisions could not be passed without the inclusion of other provisions that he did not support, such as ending Sunday premium pay.
  • The law incrementally raises the current $11-an-hour minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2023.
  • Raises the current tipped minimum wage in Massachusetts of $3.75 an hour by 60-cent increments each year until it reaches $6.75 in 2023.
  • Beginning in 2021, employees — even self-employed workers — will be allowed to take up to 12 weeks of paid family leave and up to 20 weeks of paid medical leave — with the guarantee that they can return to their previous job or an “equivalent position” with the same pay, status, and benefits.
  • Establishes an annual Sales Tax Holiday in the State of Massachusetts.

Outcome: This bill was passed in both chambers and was signed by the Governor on June 28, 2018To read the full text of the bill, click here.

H.36380 - An Act establishing the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

  • Jay was an advocate and co-sponsor of this legislation.
  • Adds pregnancy and  pregnancy related conditions, including lactation and expressing breast milk, to the list of qualifiers employers cannot discriminate against
  • Prevents employers from denying reasonable accommodations for pregnancy or pregnancy related conditions
  • Prevents employer from refusing to hire a pregnant person because of the pregnancy or a pregnancy related condition
  • Includes a non-exhaustive list of reasonable accommodations:
    • More frequent/longer paid/unpaid breaks
    • Time off to recover from childbirth (paid or unpaid)
    • Seating
    • Temporary transfer to a less strenuous position
    • Job restructuring
    • Light duty
    • Private non-private space for expressing breast milk
    • Assistance with manual labor
    • Modified work schedules

Outcome:This bill passed in the House and Senate and was signed into law by the Governor.To read the full text of the bill, click here.

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190th Session Recap: Elections Laws and Reform

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190th Session Recap: Gun Control Legislation