Massachusetts Paid Sick Leave Law

The MA Paid Sick Leave Law, effective July 1, 2015 requires most employers to offer employees up to 40 hours of sick leave per year. This allows employees to take time off from work for qualifying reasons, such as illness or taking care of a family member who is ill.

personal trackers for dementia Employees who are unable to use all of their earned sick time in a calendar year can use it intermittently, either in hourly increments or the smallest increment used by their employer’s payroll system for absences. Employers must notify employees of their rights to use sick time and are not allowed to ask for medical documentation regarding an absence unless the employee has missed 24 or more consecutive scheduled work hours.

What Can Employees Use Their Sick Leave For?

Massachusetts’ paid sick time law allows employees to use their earned sick leave for up to four different reasons:

1. To recover from a physical or mental illness, injury, or medical condition.

2. fall button for elderly To care for the employee’s child, spouse, parent or parent-in-law who is ill.

3. To attend a routine medical appointment or a medical treatment for a child, spouse, parent or parent-in-law.

4. To address the psychological, physical or legal effects of domestic violence on the employee and the employee’s dependent child.

5. To attend a medical or other appointment for a disabled family member.

The MA paid sick leave law gives employees a private right of action to file a complaint against their employers if they believe their rights have been violated. If you suspect that your employer is violating the Massachusetts paid sick leave law, contact a lawyer for assistance.