Changes to the state minimum wage law are now in effect.
Several changes to the state minimum wage law are now in effect as of 1/1/19:
- The state minimum wage increased from $11.00/hr to $12.00/hr on 1/1/19.
- Sunday/Holiday premium pay for retail shops decreased from a 1.5 multiplier to a 1.4 multiplier for Sundays and the following holidays: Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day (New Year’s Day, Columbus Day, and Veteran’s Day are currently unchanged due to a drafting error in the Grand Bargain but are expected to be updated in 2019).
- The wage for tipped employees increased from the $3.75/hr to $4.35/hr.
- The tipped wage calculation has also been modified. The minimum wage must now be met by the work shift and no longer based on a weekly calculation. Tipped wage employees hourly wage of $4.35 plus their average hourly tips for each shift must now add up to the $12 minimum wage or the employer is responsible for the differential.
NFIB’s state director in Massachusetts, Christopher Carlozzi, recently commented to Channel 7 News on the negative impact of increasing labor costs for small businesses.
