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Summary of Question 4
This proposed law would entitle employees in Massachusetts to earn and use sick time according to certain conditions. Employees who work for employers having eleven or more employees could earn and use up to 40 hours of paid sick time per calendar year, while employees working for smaller employers could earn and use up to 40 hours of unpaid sick time per calendar year. An employee could use earned sick time if required to miss work in order (1) to care for a physical or mental illness, injury or medical condition affecting the employee or the employee's child, spouse, parent, or parent of a spouse; (2) to attend routine medical appointments of the employee or the employee's child, spouse, parent, or parent of a spouse; or (3) to address the effects of domestic violence on the employee or the employee's dependent child. Employees would earn one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked, and would begin accruing those hours on the date of hire or on July 1, 2015, whichever is later. Employees could begin to use earned sick time on the 90th day after hire. The proposed law would cover both private and public employers, except that employees of a particular city or town would be covered only if, as required by the state constitution, the proposed law were made applicable by local or state legislative vote or by appropriation of sufficient funds to pay for the benefit. Earned paid sick time would be compensated at the same hourly rate paid to the employee when the sick time is used. Employees could carry over up to 40 hours of unused sick time to the next calendar year, but could not use more than 40 hours in a calendar year. Employers would not have to pay employees for unused sick time at the end of their employment. If an employee missed work for a reason eligible for earned sick time, but agreed with the employer to work the same number of hours or shifts in the same or next pay period, the employee would not have to use earned sick time for the missed time, and the employer would not have to pay for that missed time. Employers would be prohibited from requiring such an employee to work additional hours to make up for missed time, or to find a replacement employee. Employers could require certification of the need for sick time if an employee used sick time for more than 24 consecutively scheduled work hours. Employers could not delay the taking of or payment for earned sick time because they have not received the certification. Employees would have to make a good faith effort to notify the employer in advance if the need for earned sick time is foreseeable. Employers would be prohibited from interfering with or retaliating based on an employee's exercise of earned sick time rights, and from retaliating based on an employee's support of another employee's exercise of such rights. The proposed law would not override employers' obligations under any contract or benefit plan with more generous provisions than those in the proposed law. Employers that have their own policies providing as much paid time off, usable for the same purposes and under the same conditions, as the proposed law would not be required to provide additional paid sick time. The Attorney General would enforce the proposed law, using the same enforcement procedures applicable to other state wage laws, and employees could file suits in court to enforce their earned sick time rights. The Attorney General would have to prepare a multilingual notice regarding the right to earned sick time, and employers would be required to post the notice in a conspicuous location and to provide a copy to employees. The state Executive Office of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Attorney General, would develop a multilingual outreach program to inform the public of the availability of earned sick time. The proposed law would take effect on July 1, 2015, and states that if any of its parts were declared invalid, the other parts would stay in effect.

2014 - Essex County - Question 4Do you approve of a law summarized below, on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives on or before May 6, 2014?

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Essex County Results
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City/Town Ward Pct Blanks Total Votes Cast
Totals
138,637
112,580
7,742 258,959
Amesbury More »
 
3,248
2,539
158
5,945
Andover More »
 
6,324
6,618
269
13,211
Beverly More »
 
8,034
6,384
376
14,794
Boxford More »
 
1,516
2,106
73
3,695
Danvers More »
 
4,904
5,015
241
10,160
Essex
 
775
750
123
1,648
Georgetown More »
 
1,661
1,681
65
3,407
Gloucester More »
 
6,191
4,566
413
11,170
Groveland More »
 
1,377
1,440
55
2,872
Hamilton More »
 
1,620
1,578
104
3,302
Haverhill More »
 
10,054
8,197
538
18,789
Ipswich More »
 
3,062
2,946
141
6,149
Lawrence More »
 
10,104
3,420
780
14,304
Lynn More »
 
13,524
6,977
331
20,832
Lynnfield More »
 
2,244
3,006
135
5,385
Manchester-by-the-Sea
 
1,293
1,296
74
2,663
Marblehead More »
 
5,032
4,498
290
9,820
Merrimac More »
 
1,380
1,215
47
2,642
Methuen More »
 
7,292
6,671
406
14,369
Middleton More »
 
1,509
1,842
85
3,436
Nahant
 
1,005
828
53
1,886
Newbury More »
 
1,625
1,658
85
3,368
Newburyport More »
 
4,542
3,470
273
8,285
N. Andover More »
 
5,026
5,356
246
10,628
Peabody More »
 
10,074
8,684
765
19,523
Rockport More »
 
1,979
1,351
377
3,707
Rowley
 
1,302
1,343
57
2,702
Salem More »
 
8,286
4,735
408
13,429
Salisbury More »
 
1,529
1,435
74
3,038
Saugus More »
 
5,250
4,572
256
10,078
Swampscott More »
 
3,547
2,910
209
6,666
Topsfield
 
1,457
1,615
111
3,183
Wenham
 
783
854
75
1,712
W. Newbury
 
1,088
1,024
49
2,161
County Totals
138,637
112,580
7,742 258,959