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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 - Franklin 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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Franklin County Results
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City/Town Ward Pct Blanks Total Votes Cast
Totals
16,921
8,484
1,481 26,886
Ashfield
 
568
246
53
867
Bernardston
 
450
322
36
808
Buckland
 
489
239
22
750
Charlemont
 
289
142
13
444
Colrain
 
370
191
40
601
Conway
 
613
288
59
960
Deerfield
 
1,430
781
49
2,260
Erving
 
312
194
13
519
Gill
 
401
241
7
649
Greenfield More »
 
3,666
1,580
319
5,565
Hawley
 
90
47
9
146
Heath
 
193
101
19
313
Leverett
 
648
187
102
937
Leyden
 
222
120
30
372
Monroe
 
18
12
6
36
Montague More »
 
1,931
903
214
3,048
New Salem
 
274
151
37
462
Northfield
 
698
443
39
1,180
Orange More »
 
1,250
1,017
79
2,346
Rowe
 
87
51
15
153
Shelburne
 
504
263
44
811
Shutesbury
 
652
144
105
901
Sunderland
 
827
374
31
1,232
Warwick
 
183
135
41
359
Wendell
 
320
72
27
419
Whately
 
436
240
72
748
County Totals
16,921
8,484
1,481 26,886