Last summer, Governor Baker signed “An Act Relative to Minimum Wage, Paid Family Medical Leave, and the Sales Tax Holiday” (H.4640), which in part created a new Paid Family and Medical Leave program in the Commonwealth. We provided further program details here.
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Paid Family Medical Leave
Connecticut House Passes Extensive Paid Family Medical Leave Bill
By Salvatore G. Gangemi on
Posted in Employment Law
Monumental changes to Connecticut employment law are on the horizon.
Late last week, the House approved a bill creating a paid family and medical leave program in Connecticut. Senate Bill 0001, “An Act Concerning Paid Family and Medical Leave,” creates a Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FMLI) program to provide wage replacement benefits to certain employees taking leave for reasons allowed under Connecticut’s Family and Medical Leave Act (CFMLA).
Continue Reading Connecticut House Passes Extensive Paid Family Medical Leave Bill
Massachusetts Raises Minimum Wage and Passes Paid Family and Medical Leave Law
By Salvatore G. Gangemi & Madiha M. Malik on
Posted in Employment Law, Paid Family Medical Leave
On June 28, 2018, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill titled “An Act Relative to Minimum Wage, Paid Family Medical Leave, and the Sales Tax Holiday” (H.4640). The new law, dubbed the “Grand Bargain,” implements incremental increases in Massachusetts’ minimum wage over the next five years, and creates a new paid family and medical leave program in the Commonwealth. A full text of the bill can be found here.
Minimum Wage Increase
The law increases the minimum wage from $11.00 to $15.00 over the course of five years. In 2019, the minimum wage will increase from $11.00 to $12.00. Thereafter, it will continue to increase each year in $0.75 increments until it reaches $15 in 2023. The Grand Bargain also results in a five-year phase out of the requirement of premium pay for hours worked on Sunday.
Tipped employees will also receive a boost from the current $3.75/hour tipped minimum wage, which will increase by $0.60 increments each year until 2023 when the tipped minimum wage will be $6.75/hour.
Paid Family and Medical Leave Program
Reflecting a nationwide trend, the law establishes a Paid Family and Medical Leave program to take effect on January 1, 2021. The program will entitle eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of paid family leave and up to 20 weeks of paid medical leave, with a maximum of 26 combined weeks of paid leave in the same year.
Individuals eligible for leave include employees, self-employed individuals, and certain former employees. The program will be funded by employers and employees through a payroll tax.
Continue Reading Massachusetts Raises Minimum Wage and Passes Paid Family and Medical Leave Law