Mandatory Sick Time
Massachusetts Sick Time Law
Most workers in Massachusetts have the right to take sick time and cannot be retaliated against for doing so.
Under Massachusetts law, most workers are entitled to up to 40 hours of sick time per year to address certain personal and family needs. The precise number of hours of sick leave is based on the number of hours an employee works – employees must earn 1 hour of sick leave for every 30 hours they work.
All employers in the Commonwealth must provide sick time, and employers of 11 or more employees must pay their workers for their earned sick time. Employees can use sick time if they’re sick or have a routine medical appointment. They can also use it to care for a child, spouse, parent, or spouse’s parent suffering from a physical or mental illness or medical condition.
Massachusetts law strictly prohibits employers from interfering with your right to use your earned sick time. Unfortunately, many employers are unfamiliar with this relatively new law and/or simply ignore it.
Have You Been Retaliated Against for Taking Earned Sick Leave?
It’s illegal for your employer to take any adverse action against you for exercising or attempting to exercise your right to earned sick time. For example, your employer may not retaliate against you for requesting or using earned sick time, informing another person of their earned sick time rights and/or assisting another person to use earned sick time.
Your employer cannot threaten, discipline, terminate, demote, or suspend you for engaging in such activity. Your employer also cannot reduce your hours or assign you to less desirable work for attempting to use earned sick time or assisting someone else in doing so.
We Can Help You Assert Your Rights to Sick Time
Fortunately, Massachusetts law imposes stiff penalties on employers who do not honor their employees’ rights to earned sick time. Our lawyers are experienced in advocating for employees who have been improperly denied sick time and ready to fight to vindicate their rights. We can also advise our clients on matters related to the Family Medical Leave Act.
If you think your employer has interfered with your rights to take sick time, or if you feel you have been retaliated against for doing so, contact Regan Strom today for a free, confidential consultation.
