Grand Bargain Timeline

Six months ago, the State House passed a raft of legislation that had been negotiated between business advocates and labor groups. The compromise eliminated numerous ballot questions in return for concessions on the minimum wage, paid leave, and mandatory premium pay on Sundays. On the 1st of this year, the initial phase of the Grand Bargain’s implementation took effect. As employers, you have a right and a need to know how these changes impact your business. see chart for a brief overview of the rules which just took effect.

*Due to an error in the Grand Bargain Legislation’s language, mandatory premium pay of time and a half (1.5 multiplier) will remain in effect for New Year’s Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans’ Day until further notice. 

As was alluded to above, this is only the first phase of the Grand Bargain’s multi-year rollout. Further changes are approaching, and we encourage you to speak with your payroll company or human resource department about how these and future adjustments will impact you. If you would like to learn more about the Grand Bargain and its schedule of implementation, you can do so here. 

If you have any questions or concerns about the Grand Bargain, the Chamber’s policy on it, or our stance on other matters before the State House, please contact Christopher McDermott at (978) 353-7600 ext. 224, or email him at cmcdermott@northcentralmass.com.