Essential Worker Bill of Rights in Massachusetts

All workers deserve proper health and safety protections, protection from retaliation, access to free testing and treatment for their families and:

Clear data on the impact of Covid-19 on workers:

·       HB4672 - An Act Addressing COVID 19 Data Collection and Disparities in Treatment was passed by the House on April 23, addresses COVID-19 data collection and disparities in treatment.  However, we need information on employment of COVID -19 cases so we can prioritize efforts to protect workers supporting our critical infrastructure, and to make informed decisions about how to safely get people back to work.  Call your State Senators and ask them to support an amendment that adds occupation and industry to the demographic data to be collected and then pass this important bill into law!

 Additional compensation for dangerous critical work:

·       HB4631-An Act relative to state employees performing core functions: would provide hazard pay or comp time for essential public employees working outside of the home.  

·       HD5031-An Act providing hazard pay for essential workers in the COVID-19 emergency: would provide hazard pay for essential private sector employees working outside of the home.

 
As much paid sick time as needed to care for themselves or a family member should they contract COVID-19:

·       HD5039-An Act relative to emergency paid sick time: would entitle employees in the Commonwealth that work 40 hours a week to up to 80 hours of emergency paid sick time if they are not otherwise entitled to leave under the Federal FFCRA. 

·       HB4627-An Act providing certain state employees sick leave for COVID-19 related absences: would provide paid leave for the duration of a state employee’s COVID-19 related absence.  

A presumption that if they contract COVID-19, they did so in the line of duty so all frontline workers – or their families, in the tragic event they die from the illness - get the workers' compensation benefits they deserve.

·       HB4611/SB2602-An Act relative to emergency hazard health duty: establishes a presumption that public safety officials who cannot work due to COVID-19 exposure or infection were exposed in the line of duty.  

·       HD4949- An Act providing worker compensation protection to emergency response and medical personnel related to COVID-19 infection: streamlines workers’ compensation claims for EMTs and emergency room or urgent care personnel who have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Protection from liability and retaliation so our essential workers can serve the public and stop the spread of this virus without fear of retribution:

·       HD5038/SD 2921- An Act to provide liability protections for contractors, sub-contractors and unions during the COVID-19 Pandemic: would indemnify contractors and unions for not completing their work because of abnormally dangerous working conditions

Click here to find contact information for your elected representatives to demand they support the above bills. https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator