Massachusetts Expands Reasons for Use of Earned Sick Time

The Massachusetts Legislature has expanded the reasons employees can use time off under the Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law through provisions in a larger bill entitled, “An Act Promoting Access to Midwifery Care and Out-of-Hospital Birth Options.” Employees in Massachusetts may now use earned sick time to “address the employee’s own physical and mental health needs, and those of their spouse, if the employee or the employee’s spouse experiences pregnancy loss or a failed assisted reproduction, adoption or surrogacy.”

These new conditions are in addition to the current reasons employees in Massachusetts can use earned sick time:

• To 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 preventive medical care.
• To care for the employee’s own physical or mental illness, injury, or medical condition that requires home care, professional medical diagnosis or care, or preventive medical care.
• To attend the employee’s routine medical appointment or a routine medical appointment for the employee’s child, spouse, or parent.
• To address the psychological, physical, or legal effects of domestic violence against the employee or the employee’s child.
• To travel to and from an appointment, pharmacy, or other location necessary for the purposes of using earned sick time.

The change to the law will take effect Nov. 21. Massachusetts employers will want to ensure that their policies are up-to-date and that they allow employees to use their earned sick time for these new purposes. 

Ellen Donovan McCann and Stephen T. Melnick are attorneys with Littler in Boston. © 2024 Littler. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.