Seyfarth Synopsis:
On May 28, 2021, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law legislation that grants employees emergency paid sick leave for COVID-related illness, quarantine and vaccinations (“COVID-19 emergency paid sick leave”). The law became effective on May 28, 2021 and will remain in place through September 30, 2021, or the exhaustion of $75 million in program funds as determined by the Commonwealth, whichever is earlier. The law also amends the Act Financing a Program for Improvements to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and Providing Relief to Employers and Workers in the Commonwealth to provide relief to employers facing the sharp rise in employer contributions to the unemployment fund by spreading out costs over a 20-year period.
On May 28, 2021, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed legislation providing every full-time employee up to 40 hours (pro-rated for part-time employees) of job-protected,.
Massachusetts has established a statewide mandate for employers to temporarily provide employees up to 40 hours of COVID-19 Massachusetts emergency paid sick leave (MA EPSL) when they.
Massachusetts has established a statewide mandate for employers to temporarily provide employees up to 40 hours of COVID-19 Massachusetts emergency paid sick leave MA EPSL when they are unable to work due to specific qualifying reasons related to the pandemic.
Seyfarth Synopsis: On April 1, 2021,
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a new
law
that, among other issues, addresses the solvency
of the Commonwealth s unemployment compensation fund by
imposing an excise on wages and permitting the Commonwealth to
issue bonds to fund unemployment. The law also includes tax relief
provisions for employers and employees, including gross income
exclusions for employers who received certain COVID-19 relief
benefits and a tax deduction for some individuals who received
unemployment compensation in 2020 or 2021. While the unemployment
and tax relief provisions of the bill are now law, the Governor
exercised his line-item veto power to send the section of the bill