Will Paid Family Leave Advance?

Date: May 17, 2016 Last Edit: May 18, 2016

Proposal would add to costly mandate pile-on.

Will Paid Family Leave Advance?

If Massachusetts lawmakers approve proposals to enact an employer-paid family leave and temporary disability leave program, small business owners could be looking at another costly mandate. This move comes on the heels of a recent voter-approved paid sick leave law that required all workers be allowed to earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked.

House Bill No. 1718 has been reported with a favorable recommendation by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. Under a paid family leave and temporary disability leave program, employees would be able to take 26 weeks’ paid leave for their own illness and 12 weeks’ paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child or to care for a relative, including a spouse, parent, grandparent, in-law, child, or grandchild. This would be on top of a variety of other laws already on the books, mandating paid sick leave, ‘small necessities’ leave, domestic violence leave, and parental leave, as well as the federal family and medical leave law. Adding another mandate to the mix would be expensive and unnecessary, particularly for small business owners.

Funding for the benefit and for the new state bureaucracy created to administer the program would come from a new tax assessed on employers and employees. The estimated cost of the program and bureaucracy are not known at this time but a new tax would violate the ‘no new taxes’ pledge of Speaker DeLeo and Governor Baker.
Stay tuned for action alerts on this issue, and contact your legislators to let them know enough is enough.

Stay tuned for action alerts on this issue, and
contact your legislators to let them know enough is enough.

Subscribe For Free News And Tips

Enter your email to get FREE small business insights. Learn more

Get to know NFIB

NFIB is a member-driven organization advocating on behalf of small and independent businesses nationwide.

Learn More

Or call us today
1-800-634-2669

© 2001 - 2024 National Federation of Independent Business. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Conditions | Privacy