Budget Amendment ID: FY2019-S4-359-R1

Redraft GOV 359

Employee Vacation and Earned Sick Leave Credit Task Force

Messrs. Tarr, O'Connor and Fattman moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section__, the following section:-

There shall be a sick time working group to analyze the effects of implementing a vacation and sick leave credit cap for state employees. The working group shall be comprised of the following members or their designees: the secretary of administration and finance or their designee, the personnel administrator; the director of the human resources division; the chairs of the joint committee on public service or their designees; the ranking minority members of the joint committee on public service or their designees; and 2 additional persons appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be nominated by the National Association of Government Employees and 1 of whom shall be nominated by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.

The working group shall issue a report on the costs, benefits and legality of prohibiting an employee of the commonwealth who has accrued more than a set number of hours of unused vacation and sick leave credits from being allowed to accrue additional vacation or sick leave hours.  The report shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of relevant labor laws and existing agreements between employer groups and the commonwealth.  The report shall include a comparison of vacation and sick leave polices in other states and other public and private employers in the commonwealth, including a specific analysis of other state laws pertaining to accrued vacation and sick leave credits of employees represented by an employer representative group.  The report and any recommendations for legislation shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and with the chairs of the joint committee on public service not later than December 1, 2019.