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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 - Worcester 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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Worcester County Results
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City/Town Ward Pct Blanks Total Votes Cast
Totals
132,157
117,548
7,299 257,004
Ashburnham
 
1,125
1,029
40
2,194
Athol More »
 
1,772
1,513
88
3,373
Auburn More »
 
3,092
3,121
131
6,344
Barre More »
 
966
946
45
1,957
Berlin
 
695
628
88
1,411
Blackstone More »
 
1,445
1,351
117
2,913
Bolton
 
1,187
1,064
43
2,294
Boylston
 
976
1,061
38
2,075
Brookfield
 
621
605
19
1,245
Charlton More »
 
2,009
2,391
164
4,564
Clinton More »
 
2,532
1,810
131
4,473
Douglas More »
 
1,435
1,573
74
3,082
Dudley More »
 
1,732
1,757
54
3,543
E. Brookfield
 
400
456
26
882
Fitchburg More »
 
4,770
3,941
366
9,077
Gardner More »
 
3,051
2,509
138
5,698
Grafton More »
 
3,301
3,058
204
6,563
Hardwick
 
543
453
22
1,018
Harvard
 
1,492
1,117
106
2,715
Holden More »
 
3,897
3,945
156
7,998
Hopedale
 
1,243
1,081
71
2,395
Hubbardston
 
912
945
42
1,899
Lancaster More »
 
1,454
1,335
86
2,875
Leicester More »
 
1,887
2,063
172
4,122
Leominster More »
 
6,328
5,786
515
12,629
Lunenburg More »
 
2,056
2,111
83
4,250
Mendon
 
1,188
1,250
45
2,483
Milford More »
 
4,934
3,818
513
9,265
Millbury More »
 
2,187
2,428
163
4,778
Millville
 
460
457
122
1,039
New Braintree
 
193
215
30
438
N. Brookfield
 
852
874
64
1,790
Northborough More »
 
3,224
2,932
151
6,307
Northbridge More »
 
2,591
2,772
152
5,515
Oakham
 
376
400
65
841
Oxford More »
 
2,226
2,199
90
4,515
Paxton
 
832
1,026
43
1,901
Petersham
 
316
267
64
647
Phillipston
 
321
310
58
689
Princeton
 
841
892
46
1,779
Royalston More »
 
265
231
47
543
Rutland More »
 
1,605
1,598
57
3,260
Shrewsbury More »
 
6,856
6,302
347
13,505
Southborough More »
 
2,072
2,070
102
4,244
Southbridge More »
 
2,189
1,620
60
3,869
Spencer More »
 
1,837
2,064
102
4,003
Sterling More »
 
1,644
1,941
85
3,670
Sturbridge More »
 
1,751
1,844
51
3,646
Sutton More »
 
1,711
2,134
100
3,945
Templeton More »
 
1,340
1,331
63
2,734
Upton More »
 
1,445
1,464
78
2,987
Uxbridge More »
 
2,490
2,396
161
5,047
Warren More »
 
887
657
61
1,605
Webster More »
 
2,197
2,162
106
4,465
W. Boylston More »
 
1,499
1,609
57
3,165
W. Brookfield
 
696
712
24
1,432
Westborough More »
 
3,394
2,879
190
6,463
Westminster More »
 
1,424
1,601
60
3,085
Winchendon More »
 
1,420
1,290
71
2,781
Worcester More »
 
23,973
14,154
852
38,979
County Totals
132,157
117,548
7,299 257,004