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Employer - 2021 Rate Recalculation Notice 7/15/21
July 15, 2021 Dear Massachusetts Employer, In accordance with legislation enacted on May 28, 2021, the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) removed COVID-19 related charges from the solvency fund and charged them to a newly created account: the COVID-19 Employer Relief Account. As a result, the 2021 solvency rate decreased from 9.23% to 1.12%. To account for the reduction in solvency rate, employers that were charged a solvency assessment on their 2021 rate notice will be credited back a
Returning to Business as Usual: Vaccination in the Workplace
As states get closer to having half of their population vaccinated, employers must consider how to approach conversations surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine in their workplace. Businesses have much to consider, from varying perspectives on vaccines to industry standards, and may want to adopt a vaccination plan to encourage COVID vaccinations, build herd immunity, and ultimately help businesses relax their restrictions. Here are our top tips and considerations for creating a workplace vaccination
Baker-Polito Administration Announces Legislation to Make August and September 2021 Sales Tax Holida
BOSTON — The Baker-Polito Administration today is filing legislation to establish a Sales Tax Holiday for the months of August and September. This plan aims to support Main Street businesses and local economies and promote economic growth and opportunity as the Commonwealth continues to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. State tax revenues for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) continue to significantly exceed projections, with revenues to date 14.9% above benchmark. Strong revenues across the board
Baker-Polito Administration Publishes Interactive Tool Showing Breakdown of $3.4 Billion in Federal
BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced that it has published a new, interactive online tool that displays a breakdown by municipality of the $3.4 billion in direct federal aid awarded to local governments across Massachusetts by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This direct aid to local governments is part of a total of $8.7 billion awarded to Massachusetts through the new Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, which was created by ARPA. This total also includes the $5.3
Updated Employer Notice - DUA will recalculate and issue new 2021 UI Rates
Dear Massachusetts Employer: On Friday, May 28, 2021, Governor Baker signed legislation that will exclude all COVID-19-related benefits paid between March 10, 2020 and August 1, 2021 from the unemployment insurance (UI) solvency rate calculation. The Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) will recalculate and issue new 2021 UI Rates to employers by late July. Please note, business transfers cannot be processed until the rate recalculation is completed. DUA will communicate additional information
Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave—Employer Guidance
Dear Employer: As a reminder, under the terms of Chapter 16 of the Acts of 2021 (An Act Providing for Massachusetts COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave), effective May 28, 2021, employers are required to make paid leave time available to employees for certain reasons related to COVID-19. Last week, an e-mail was sent out with preliminary guidance related to this new law. As a follow-up, we wanted to provide a link to the newly created COVID-19 Sick Leave website, which will be the best source for
Massachusetts Updates Premium Pay Under Blue Laws
Sharing from Payright Payroll Massachusetts has made several revisions to its “blue laws” that require most employers that are retailers to pay premium pay for work on certain holidays. First, the Commonwealth has designated Juneteenth Independence Day, June 19, as a legal holiday. Second, the gradual phase-out of premium pay now applies to all holidays that require premium pay. When the legislature originally crafted the phase-out, it forgot to include New Year’s Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day; it
Baker-Polito Administration to Lift COVID Restrictions May 29, State to Meet Vaccination Goal by Beginning of June
Baker-Polito Administration to Lift COVID Restrictions May 29, State to Meet Vaccination Goal by Beginning of JuneCommonwealth Will Adopt CDC Face Covering Guidance BOSTON – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that the Commonwealth is on track to meet the goal of vaccinating 4.1 million residents by the first week of June and all remaining COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted effective May 29. The Commonwealth’s face covering order will also be rescinded on May 29. The Department of Public
Statewide and Regional Business Associations Announce New Skills Coalition and Policy Agenda
Statewide and regional business associations from across the Commonwealth have launched the Massachusetts Business Coalition on Skills (MBCS). The new statewide coalition will advocate for policies that develop the skills of our current and future workforce. The MBCS formed because there are two sides to the skills gap and both can drag job and economic growth. On the employer side, it is difficult to find qualified talent: a 2019 survey by coalition member Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education
Baker-Polito Administration Announces Transition to Phase IV of Reopening Plan
Baker-Polito Administration Announces Transition to Phase IV of Reopening PlanMassachusetts will advance to Step 1 of Phase IV on March 22; Replaces Travel Order with Travel Advisory BOSTON — Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that Massachusetts will advance to Step 1 of Phase IV of the Commonwealth’s reopening plan on Monday, March 22. The Administration continues to take steps to reopen the Commonwealth's economy with public health metrics continuing to trend in a positive direction.
