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- HB361, An Act Establishing a Massachusetts Work Family Council
- HB1779, An Act Establishing Paid Family and Medical Leave for Massachusetts Employees (6 weeks leave)
- SB114, Supporting Strong Families by Providing Paid Family and Medical Leave, Increasing Tax Deductions, and Establishing a Work-Family Council (12 weeks leave)
Each of these bills is an attempt to establish a mandated paid family and medical leave in Massachusetts whether through the creation of a bureaucratic council, whose make-up is skewed toward supporters of paid family leave, or through direct legislation.
Similar to legislation proposed in the 2005/2006 session the above mentioned bills call for 6-12 weeks of paid leave, in the amount 80% of the employee’s wages or salary, but not more than $750 per week. The stipends will come out of a “Strong Families Trust Fund” to be maintained by employee premiums.
While initially these bills appear to have no monetary burden on business, the cost to business would be in the form of administrative implementation and loss of an employee for up to 12 weeks. Moreover, for small businesses one employee makes up a large percentage of their workforce and is therefore indispensable. Many businesses may incur additional cost by hiring and training a temporary worker during those 6-12 weeks. And while the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is used as a reference in the proposed legislation, unlike FMLA this mandate would apply to all businesses in Massachusetts not just those with more than 50 employees.
There was a hearing for HB1779 and SB114 on October 3rd in the Gardner Auditorium of the State House. Jonathan Dennehy, Esq., member of the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee, testified on behalf of the Chamber (testimony provided below). While Mr. Dennehy was one of only a few voices on behalf of the “strong families” who own and run businesses in Massachusetts at that hearing, you can still contact your state legislators to share your own business concerns about this legislation.
The Chamber’s position to oppose legislative efforts in Massachusetts to establish a family and medical leave program is in compliance with previous Chamber policy on similar bills in 2006, 2001, and 1988.
SB114 was reported favorably as amended by the Joint Committee on Children and Families (JCF) and was referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means on 11/05/2007. HB1779 remains before the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. HB361 is now HB4308 and sits before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.
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