Labor & Employment

passed · Massachusetts · Senate Dec 11, 2025

S 1377: An Act relative to wage theft and due process

By Mr. Tarr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1377) of Bruce E. Tarr for legislation relative to wage theft and due process. Labor and Workforce Development.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAddresses wage theft, protecting workers' rights to earned wages and strengthening due process in labor disputes under Labor and Workforce Development.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Workforce Development

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passed · Massachusetts · House May 7, 2026

H 2079: An Act to provide paid family and medical leave to educators and municipal employees

By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2079) of Mike Connolly and Danillo A. Sena for legislation to provide paid family and medical leave benefits for educators and municipal employees. Labor and Workforce Development.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill provides paid medical leave for employees, enabling access to healthcare without income loss, directly supporting healthcare access indicators.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly provides paid family and medical leave benefits for educators and municipal employees, expanding worker benefits under Labor & Workforce Development.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave Workforce Development

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passed · Massachusetts · House Mar 12, 2026

H 2176: An Act prohibiting employers from attempting to conceal violations of state wage, benefit, or tax laws

By Representatives Sousa of Framingham and Cruz of Salem, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2176) of Priscila S. Sousa and Manny Cruz relative to employer disclosure of immigration status to conceal violation of state wage, benefit, or tax laws. Labor and Workforce Development.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill prevents employers from concealing tax law violations, ensuring proper tax collection and closing compliance loopholes related to state revenue.85% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationPrevents employers from using immigration status to conceal wage/benefit violations, protecting immigrant workers from exploitation under labor laws.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits employers from concealing wage/benefit violations using immigration status disclosure, directly protecting workers' compensation rights under Labor & Workforce Development.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Work Authorization Labor Standards Workforce Development

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Dec 18, 2025

S 1264: An Act relative to treble damages

This bill (S 1264) amends Massachusetts labor laws to strengthen employee remedies for violations of specific workplace protections. It allows employees who believe their rights under certain labor laws (like wage laws or anti-discrimination rules) were violated to file their own lawsuits after a 90-day waiting period (or sooner with the Attorney General's consent), within three years of the violation. If an employee wins a lawsuit and the violation was "willful," they can receive triple damages for lost wages and benefits, plus attorney fees. Non-willful violations result in standard court-determined damages. The bill directly affects employees facing workplace rights violations and employers subject to these labor laws.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEnables employees to sue for willful violations with treble damages, strengthening labor law enforcement and worker remedies.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Jun 29, 2026

S 1950: An Act to promote employee ownership

This bill (S 1950) provides tax incentives to encourage companies to adopt employee ownership structures, such as employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). It directly affects businesses transitioning to employee ownership models by offering financial benefits through tax provisions. The key mechanism is a revenue-related tax credit or deduction for qualifying companies, aiming to make employee ownership more financially accessible. The bill focuses on creating concrete tax policy changes to support this ownership model.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax credits for employee ownership structures, directly creating tax policy changes to incentivize business models, aligning with tax relief indicators.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill provides tax incentives for employee ownership (ESOPs), directly advancing worker benefits and stake in companies, aligning with labor rights strengthening.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Incentives

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passed · Massachusetts · House Dec 18, 2025

H 3360: An Act relating to fair pay and safe workplaces

By Representative Hunt of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3360) of Daniel J. Hunt for legislation to further regulate state contracts and sub-contracts. State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill title 'fair pay and safe workplaces' explicitly addresses wage fairness and workplace safety, directly aligning with labor protection indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

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passed · Massachusetts · House Oct 29, 2025

H 2097: An Act relative to collective bargaining rights of Massachusetts employees

By Representative Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2097) of Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Lydia Edwards relative to collective bargaining rights. Labor and Workforce Development.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly addresses collective bargaining rights under Labor and Workforce Development, directly supporting workers' organizing and negotiation rights as a core labor protection.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Workforce Development

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passed · Massachusetts · House May 7, 2026

H 2078: An Act uplifting families and securing the right to strike for certain public employees

By Representatives Connolly of Cambridge and Uyterhoeven of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2078) of Mike Connolly, Erika Uyterhoeven and others relative to securing the right to strike for certain public employees. Labor and Workforce Development.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly secures right to strike for public employees, directly supporting collective bargaining and workers' rights under Labor & Workforce Development.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Workforce Development

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in committee · Massachusetts · House Nov 3, 2025

H 4674: An Act protecting employee free speech

This Massachusetts bill (H 4674) prohibits most employers - including state agencies - from punishing employees for exercising free speech rights related to political or religious topics, as long as the speech doesn’t interfere with job performance. It specifically bans discipline for refusing to attend mandatory meetings or communications about political/religious matters, with violations requiring employers to pay up to triple damages, lost wages, and legal fees. Exceptions include job-related communications, academic discussions in schools, and casual workplace conversations. Religious organizations are exempt from these rules. The law aims to protect employees’ First Amendment and state constitutional speech rights in the workplace.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits employer discipline for political/religious speech with triple damages for violations, directly protecting workers' rights under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

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in committee · Massachusetts · House Nov 3, 2025

H 4681: An Act protecting labor and abolishing barriers to organizing rights

This bill (H 4681) modernizes Massachusetts labor law to expand workers' organizing rights. It directly affects employees in state-contracted services (like healthcare, social services, and nonprofits) by redefining "employee" to include these workers (excluding agricultural/domestic workers) and clarifying that multiple employers sharing control over workers are "joint employers." Key provisions include allowing electronic signatures for union authorization cards, ensuring state labor law applies if federal law doesn't cover certain workers, and removing barriers to collective bargaining for workers not protected by federal law. The bill aims to strengthen labor-management relations by making it easier for workers to form unions and negotiate.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill expands organizing rights via employee definition, electronic union cards, and joint employer rules to strengthen collective bargaining protections for state-contracted workers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Gig Economy Labor Standards

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