The Massachusetts Legislature rushed through an extension to the COVID-19 emergency sick leave law
The Massachusetts Legislature rushed through an extension to the COVID-19 emergency sick leave law, mandating emergency sick leave now be offered through April 2022. In March, Massachusetts passed a package of bills that included an unemployment insurance rate schedule freeze, prevented PPP loans from being taxed by the state, and a mandate that employers must offer emergency leave to workers for COVID-related matters that was set to expire on September 30th.
While businesses with fewer than 500 workers could previously utilize a federal tax credit for reimbursement, that credit expired on September 30, 2021. Instead, Massachusetts small businesses will now be allowed to access a $75 million fund to be reimbursed for mandatory COVID-related emergency leave paid to workers (this fund was previously only eligible to businesses with more than 500 workers).
Businesses seeking reimbursement must follow a process on the MassTaxConnect website. To learn https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-temporary-emergency-paid-sick-leave-program.
