Beginning November 21, 2024, the Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law will expand to include reproductive loss events experienced by an employee or their spouse as a qualifying reason for time off under the Commonwealth’s sick time law. This expansion of the statute reflects a recent trend that has seen multiple states, including California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota, incorporate reproductive loss as legally protected paid or unpaid covered events. Like many other states , Massachusetts provides for paid sick leave benefits to most workers.
In general, if an employer has at least 11 employees (including full-time, part-time and temporary employees), their covered employees are entitled to earn and use up to 40 hours of earned paid sick time in a calendar year, whereas if an employer has less than 11 employees, their covered employees are entitled to earn and use up to 40 hours of earned unpaid sick time from the employer in a calendar year. Prior to a recent amendment, employees were entitled to use earned sick time to: (1) care for the employee’s child, spouse, parent, or parent of a spouse, who is suffering from a physical or mental illness, injury, or medical condition that requires home care, professional medical diagnosis or care, or preventative medical care; (2) care for the employee’s own physical or mental illness, injury, or medical condition that requires home care, professional medical diagnosis or care, or preventative medical care; (3) attend the emp.
