Labor & Employment in Massachusetts

signed · Massachusetts · Senate Jul 7, 2026

S 3031: An Act establishing a sick leave bank for Stephanie Rivera, an employee of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office

By Mr. Fattman, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 3031) (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Ryan C. Fattman and John J. Marsi for legislation to establish a sick leave bank for Stephanie Rivera, an employee of the Worcester County Sheriff's Office. Public Service.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Massachusetts · House Mar 9, 2026

HD 5730: An Act establishing a sick leave bank for Courtney Cochran, an employee of the Department of Children & Families (DCF)

By Representative Marsi of Charlton and Senator Fattman, a joint petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of John J. Marsi for legislation to establish a sick leave bank for Courtney Cochran, an employee of the Department of Children and Families. Public Service.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Massachusetts · House Mar 12, 2026

HD 5755: An Act establishing a sick leave bank for Todd LaFreniere, an employee of the Department of Correction

By Representative Zlotnik of Gardner and Senator Durant, a joint petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Jonathan D. Zlotnik and Peter J. Durant for legislation to establish a sick leave bank for Todd LaFreniere, an employee of the Department of Correction. Public Service.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

passed · Massachusetts · House Apr 23, 2026

H 5188: An Act establishing a special commission to study access to unemployment insurance in the Commonwealth

By Representatives Luddy of Orleans and Tarsky of Needham, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Hadley Luddy for an investigation by a special commission (including members of the General Court) to study access to unemployment insurance. Labor and Workforce Development.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Unemployment Workforce Development

in committee · Massachusetts · House Mar 26, 2026

H 5302: An Act helping employees after a relative’s tragedy

This bill establishes a new bereavement leave policy for employees in the Commonwealth, allowing workers to take up to 10 business days of paid leave when a family member dies. The law defines family members broadly to include children, parents, spouses, domestic partners, and others with significant personal bonds, and permits leave to be used for funeral arrangements, attending services, or grieving. Employers must pay employees at their regular rate during this leave, maintain their benefits, and restore their position upon return, though businesses with fewer than 25 employees are exempt. The legislation also requires employers to notify staff of these rights and allows for reasonable documentation of the death, with the law taking effect on January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

in committee · Massachusetts · Senate Mar 19, 2026

SD 3754: An Act establishing a sick leave bank for Stephanie Rivera, an employee of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office

By Mr. Fattman, a petition (accompanied by bill) (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Ryan C. Fattman and John J. Marsi for legislation to establish a sick leave bank for Stephanie Rivera, an employee of the Worcester County Sheriff's Office. Public Service.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Massachusetts · House Mar 5, 2026

H 5174: An Act to increase student access to career technical education schools and programs which are aligned with regional labor market needs

This bill creates a new Office of Career Technical Education within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to improve and expand vocational training programs across Massachusetts. It requires all high schools to offer at least one career technical education course or internship, aligns programs with regional labor market needs through collaboration with workforce boards, and establishes new credentials to measure student skills and career readiness. The legislation also allows cities to simultaneously participate in vocational and other regional school districts, increases the number of vocational technical schools from 17 to 25, and launches a two-year pilot program to encourage collaboration between high school faculty and guidance counselors to provide skill training for all students.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education K-12 Education

in committee · Massachusetts · House Mar 12, 2026

H 5208: unemployment, workers and other related matters

This bill authorizes the Massachusetts Labor and Workforce Development Committee to investigate eight related bills concerning employment, unemployment assistance, and workplace safety. The committee will study issues including e-verify employment verification, paid family leave, hazard pay for essential workers, the structure of the Employment Relations Board, unemployment fraud prevention, online benefits portal improvements, and job site safety regulations. The committee must complete its investigation and submit findings with legislative recommendations by December 31, 2026. This procedural measure does not enact new laws but directs a study to inform potential future legislation.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Paid Leave Unemployment

in committee · Massachusetts · House Mar 23, 2026

H 5282: An Act expanding access to family, friend, and neighbor-provided childcare

This bill expands access to family, friend, and neighbor-provided childcare by establishing a payment structure for caregivers who provide care in a child's home or are relatives, ensuring voucher funds cover the full daily value at an hourly rate. It sets a minimum hourly wage for these caregivers equal to the state's minimum wage and requires their care to be licensed unless reimbursement reverts to original payment levels. The legislation also creates a state advisory committee to gather input on improving support, resources, and oversight for these caregivers over a one-year period.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Minimum Wage

in committee · Massachusetts · House Feb 5, 2026

H 5023: An Act relative to sexual harassment workplace training

This bill requires most Massachusetts employers (those with more than 25 employees) to adopt written anti-harassment policies by January 1, 2027, and provide annual interactive training to all employees focused on preventing sexual harassment and unlawful retaliation. The training must cover specific examples, bystander intervention, internal/external remedies, and supervisory responsibilities, with online sessions requiring anonymous Q&A and participation tracking. Employers must maintain records of training completion for five years and provide written policy copies to all employees at hire or role change. Smaller employers (25 or fewer employees) are exempt from these requirements.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Employment Discrimination

All labor & employment bills