The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office posted on its website a clarification of its previously announced Safe Harbor provision extending the Massachusetts Earned Sick Time compliance deadline for employers who provide paid time off that is substantially similar to that required by the Law. The AG’s office clarification provides further detail regarding application of the Safe Harbor provision which stated that “employers with a policy in existence on May 1, 2015 that provides paid time off or paid sick leave, shall be deemed in compliance with the Earned Sick Time law until January 1, 2016….”

The AG’s office also released an Earned Sick Time Notice of Employee Rights for employers to post starting July 1, 2015. 

These documents and other information about the Law, including the proposed regulations, are available from the AG’s website.

The AG’s office is expected to issue final regulations shortly. The Law applies to all Massachusetts employers. For employers with 11 or more employees, sick time must be paid; for employers with 10 or fewer employees, the sick time may be unpaid.