School districts would join paid family and medical leave program

School districts and education collaboratives would participate in paid family and medical leave. Massachusetts would pay their required employer contributions. Coverage would include employees of school districts and education collaboratives established under state law. These employers would be covered without choosing to join under the local adoption rule. Massachusetts would use income surtax revenue and send the employer contributions to the Family and Employment Security Trust Fund.

Paid leave benefits would not be paid for weeks beginning during an established, customary vacation period or holiday break. The restriction would apply to anyone receiving benefits, including workers outside schools. The worker must be employed by that employer immediately before the break. There must be a reasonable assurance that the worker will perform those services immediately after the break.

Employers would preserve employees’ rights to keep earning employment benefits during family or medical leave. This provision covers employees taking family or medical leave. It includes vacation and sick time, seniority, and service credit based on time worked. Employers would maintain any work-related health insurance at the same level and under the same conditions as if the employee kept working. These protections would apply throughout the employee’s family or medical leave.