Sen. Jehlen’s Parental Leave Bill Signed into Law

In the waning hours of formal session in early January, the House finally passed State Senator Patricia Jehlen’s parental leave bill, which outgoing Governor Deva Patrick signed into law.

“I am proud of the hard work of all of those involved in getting this legislation passed, which provides important protections for parents of both genders so that they may focus on establishing a life for their new child,” said Senator Jehlen when the bill was first passed by the Senate in 2013. “The legislation protects both employees and employers through gender neutrality and transparency in job protection.”

Under the new law, which takes effect in July, employers will have to notify employees in writing prior to their leave if taking leave beyond the statutory 8 weeks will result in termination.

The law also clarifies that Massachusetts’ law providing 8 weeks of unpaid leave after birth or adoption applies to both men and women. Previously, the maternity leave statute was unclear, since there were questions about whether or not business were violating Constitutional rights to equal protection of fathers by denying leave. This bill made the statute gender-neutral.

The legislation was strongly supported by the work of Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS), the AFL-CIO and Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM).

– Information from State Senator Pat Jehlen