Here is a list of the new laws that will take effect in Massachusetts in 2025:
An Act Relative to Salary Range Transparency
- Pay Range Disclosure: The provisions below will apply to employers with 25 or more employees beginning on October 29, 2025.
- Employers will need to include the pay range for each job posting, whether it is made directly by them or through a third party.
- Employers must provide the pay range for a particular and specific employment position to an employee who is offered a promotion a transfer to a position with new responsibilities
- Employers must provide the pay range to applicants and current employees holding the position upon request.
- It is unlawful for an employer to discharge, retaliate, or discriminate against an employee or applicant exercising their right to inquire about compensation details.
- Filing Wage Data: Starting in February 1, 2025, Massachusetts employers with 100 or more employees will need to disclose pay ranges in job postings and submit detailed wage data to the state, leveraging existing federal reporting standards from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
- Following the February 1, 2025 deadline, subsequent filings will be due annually or every other year, depending on the type of report required of the employer.
- The Commonwealth will then publish aggregated wage and workforce data by industry on the Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s website by July 1 of each year.
Massachusetts Parentage Act
Beginning on Jan. 1, there will be more protections for parents who use surrogacy, invitro fertilization, and assisted reproduction to start a family. Also included in the Parentage Act are updates to be more inclusive to LGBTQ+ parents.
Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave
The Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Act has been updated and the maximum weekly benefit will increase from $1,149.90 to $1,170.64.
Residents can qualify for PFML for the following reasons:
- Caring for your own serious health condition as certified by a health care provider, including illness, injury, or pregnancy/childbirth (up to 20 weeks of paid medical leave)
- Caring for a family member with a serious health condition as certified by a health care provider, including illness, injury, or pregnancy/childbirth (up to 12 weeks of paid family leave)
- Bonding with your child during the first 12 months after birth, adoption, or placement (up to 12 weeks of paid family leave)
- Caring for a family member who was injured serving in the armed forces (up to 26 weeks of paid family leave)
- Managing affairs while a family member is on active duty (up to 12 weeks of paid family leave)
- Contribution rates remain unchanged:
- Contribution rates for employers with 25 or more covered individuals remain unchanged at 0.88 percent of eligible employee wages for 2025, with .18 percent for family leave and .70 percent going to medical leave.
- Contribution rates at employers with fewer than 25 covered individuals remain unchanged at 0.46 percent for 2025 with .18 percent for family leave and .28 percent going to medical leave.
Unemployment Insurance
- The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is continuing with its modernization of the unemployment insurance system. The project, which was launched in 2023, is expected to launch a new claimant facing portal that will be mobile-friendly and accessible in English and Spanish at some point in 2025.
- Employers are projected to see an increase as the UI system rate schedule is projected to move from C to D in January of 2025.
2023 Massachusetts Tax Cuts Legislation
- Change affecting only corporate excise taxpayers: single sales factor apportionment
- Starting January 1, 2025, all financial institutions and business corporations doing business in multiple states will apportion their income to Massachusetts using only the sales factor, instead of based on their share of sales, payroll, and property located in Massachusetts as required under current law. These financial institutions and business corporations will apportion their income to Massachusetts using Schedule F.
Workers’ Compensation
- The Workers’ Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau of Massachusetts (WCRIBMA) submitted a Rate Filing to the Division of Insurance on behalf of its members recommending a 7.1% increase in average rates for industrial classes and a 3.7% decrease for F-Classes. The WCRIBMA filed no change to expense constants. The proposed effective date of this filing is July 1, 2025.
Should you be seeking assistance in the filing of a divorce, paternity case, unemployment insurance appeal, wage theft, or discrimination complaint contact the law Offices of Renee Lazar at 978-844-4095 to schedule a FREE one hour no obligation.