Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave ends on March 15, 2022. Under the law, known as Chapter 16 of the Acts of 2021, you were required to make paid leave available to any employees affected by COVID-related illnesses, quarantines, and vaccinations.
While the Massachusetts program, and others like it across the US, appears straightforward, they amended it in September 2021 to extend the program and expand the coverage, allowing employees to take leave.
With so many changes happening in the healthcare industry every day, HR for Health offers regular updates on changes in laws and regulations to ensure you’re compliant. Here are the latest details on the Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave.
Find everything you need to know with COVID-19 Resources for Employers!
What Is the Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave?
The Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave went into effect on May 28, 2021, and they extended the end date to March 15, 2022.
Under the terms of this leave law, you must have offered your employees leave time if they needed to self-isolate, care for themselves, get a medical diagnosis, or seek treatment for COVID-19. You also must have provided paid sick leave if an employee needed time to get vaccinated or recover from their COVID-19 immunization.
Your employee may also have been eligible for emergency paid leave if they needed to care for a family member who must have self-isolated because of a COVID-19 diagnosis. They would have been eligible if their family member needed to seek diagnosis, treatment, or care for COVID-19, or even if they needed to get or recover from immunization to COVID-19.
Schedule a consultation to learn how HR for Health can help you determine eligibility and track leave for your practice.
What About Colorado’s COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Mandate?
The US is still in a nationwide COVID-19 public health emergency, according to US Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. Health emergency declarations like this trigger requirements for employers at the state level. So, under the current circumstances, the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA) requires employers to supplement the regular paid leave of their employees.
The most recent health emergency declaration in January extended the state of emergency through April 16, 2022. Charged with enforcing the HFWA, the Colorado Division of Labor and Employment (CDLE) confirmed the extension. Based on the current emergency leave requirement, Colorado employers will be required to provide extended leave until May 14, 2022, provided the date of emergency declarations is not extended again.
Find out what you need to know about COVID-19:
- Wage and Hour Claims – COVID-19
- Should Healthcare Employers Ask About Vaccine Status During the Hiring Process?
When the mandates expire, it will be important to communicate that with your team. HR for Health clients can easily do so by sending out a memo to the team electronically with our software.
Schedule a consultation to learn how HR for Health can help you determine the best way to deal with your questions about COVID-19 and how related laws will affect your practice.
Recommended Resource
COVID-19 Employer Toolkit
How HR for Health Can Help
Our software helps you stay updated with all changes to employment and pick leave laws. The software comes with reference details and resources for every state. We want to ensure that you understand and can articulate the latest requirements with state and local regulations for your practice. We not only have you covered software-wise, but our HR Specialist team is standing by to discuss the latest changes to the law and how they might affect your practice.
Schedule a consultation to learn how HR for Health can help you navigate the changing laws and mandates related to COVID-19.
