Category: Regulation

Conference Committee Announces Final Budget With Little Support for Home Care

The legislature’s state budget conference committee, made up of six members of the House and Senate’s respective Ways & Means Committees, decided on a final version of the fiscal year 2016 Massachusetts budget.ma budget pie chart pic

The $38.1 billion plan that is being sent to the Governor for his approval does not include the Home Care Alliance’s priority language that created a special commission to study and recommend licensure options for private care agencies. The commission language was included in the Senate’s version, but not the House, which left the conference committee to decide its fate.

The conference committee also did not include an expansion of income eligibility for services ordered through Aging Service Access Points (ASAPs) that the Alliance also supported.

One bright spot was that an advisory council on “mobile integrated healthcare” (MIH) was passed and includes a representative of the Home Care Alliance. The language defines MIH as:

a health care program approved by the department [of public health] that utilizes mobile resources to deliver care and services to patients in an out-of-hospital environment in coordination with health care facilities or other health care providers. Such medical care and services include, but are not limited to, community paramedic provider services, chronic disease management, behavioral health, preventative care, post-discharge follow-up visits, or transport or referral to facilities other than hospital emergency departments.

Other notes from a preliminary analysis of the Conference Committee’s budget include the following:

  • The MassHealth Managed Care line item continued to grow by another $770 million while MassHelath Senior Care, which governs the Senior Care Options program, dipped by more than $10 million.
  • In the Elder Affairs line items, State Home Care Program “Purchased Services” was set by the conference committee at about $2 million below FY15 spending, although the Enhanced Community Options Program (ECOP) grew by nearly $5.6 million.
  • Thanks to the efforts of home care supporter Senator Sal DiDomenico, the funding for the Pediatric Palliative Care Network was raised to $1.8 million from $1.5 million in FY15, but that’s still inadequate to serve the number of children currently on a waiting list for such care.
  • The Department of Higher Education’s “Nursing and Allied Health Workforce” line item ended up being level funded at $200,000 after being zeroed out by the Governor earlier this year.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

New Sick Leave Regulations Q&A’s

 

The Home Care Alliance recently held a webinar on the New Sick Leave Regulations with the law firm KurkerPaget. KurkerPaget has been hard at work trying to answer the numerous questions about the new policy. They have attempted to answer the questions that members have provided to them last week to the best of their ability. You will find these questions and their answers to them below. Some of the questions were unclear to them, and others were so policy-specific that they could not answer them outside of an attorney/client relationship. Please note that although their answers are based on the sick leave law regulations, their responses should not be construed as legal advice, and should not be relied upon for that purpose. At this point, members are free to contact KurkerPaget if they want help answering additional questions or to have us review their policies.

HCA Webinar Follow-Up Questions/Answers

Question:            We have a policy in regards to agency closed holidays. If an employee calls in the day before or day after the holiday, they forfeit the holiday and cannot submit sick and/or vacation time in place. Can we still do that? My guess says that we must allow sick time use but do not have to pay holiday?

Answer:               These types of policies are okay with regards to not paying for the holiday, but an employer must allow an employee to use earned sick leave.

Question:            Do we have to pay orientation/training time worked?

Answer:               This is not addressed in the regulations; the Attorney General’s Office has not issued any guidance on whether such meetings/trainings should be considered actual work for purposes of accruing employee sick leave.

Question:            If an employee accrues 40 hours in 2015, carries it over to 2016, and then uses it all in January, does the employer have to start accruing more time for the employee in 2016 or can you wait until the following year, 2017?

Answer:               The employee should begin accruing again (up to 40 hours), but the employer is not required to permit the employee to use the additional earned sick leave in 2016 because employee has already used 40 hours in 2016.

Question:            For per diem/per visit employees, for whom you pay a flat travel rate for each visit, does the travel rate need to be included in the calculation?

Answer:               We are not sure that we understand how this question relates to employee sick leave. If the employee is paid for travel time ordinarily, this time/pay should be included to reasonably estimate the time the employee is working for purposes of calculating the employee’s accrual of sick time.

Question:            Earning hours for “actively working” … so if an employee comes in for an in-service (paid for time in training, but they are not working), we do NOT need to count these hours toward accrued time? Is this correct?

Answer:               The regulations do not use the term “actively working,” although they use the term “actual work” for determining when an employee begins to accrue earned sick leave.  Although the regulations do not address this issue specifically, we have no reason to believe that trainings that occur as a requirement of an employee’s employment would be exempted for purposes of accrual.

Question:            Could we pay our per diem employees an hourly rate that a regular full time staff [employee] is getting hourly? Ex. Avg. RPT. Paid $38/hr. which also is the rate paid staff they are paid when working in the office. i.e., conference time.

Answer:               You need to provide a reasonable estimate of the time that the employee is spending to complete her assignment.  If the hypothetical you provide is a reasonable calculation, it is fine.

Question:            “Actual first day of work.” Does this include a paid orientation day? Many employees who attend a paid orientation day do not start working the field for a while after an orientation.

Answer:               See above. This is not addressed in the regulations; the Attorney General’s Office has not issued any guidance on whether such meetings/trainings should be considered actual work for purposes of accruing employee sick time.

Question:            If an employee carries over 30 hours into the next year (January 1, 2016), are they only eligible to accrue another 10 hours that year (2016) or are they eligible to accrue another 40 hours?

Answer:               Employers may cap accrual and use to 40 hours per year.

Question:            We have a current paid time off policy in place which we plan to [use to] access the Safe Harbor.  Can we modify our paid time off policy to a sick time policy and keep the accrual the same 30 hours and lump sum accrual until the end of this year?

Answer:               We cannot answer questions that are policy-specific without reviewing that policy.

Question:            Does the employee need to provide documentation of use for each and every instance? Even 1 hour?

Answer:               Employers can require employees to personally verify that any use of earned sick time was for allowable purposes, but can only require medical documentation in limited circumstances.

Question:            How do we determine worked for baylors

Answer:               We are not sure that we understand what is being asked, and it would be difficult to answer without speculating.

Question:            Can you clarify the statement under paid time off policies… employers that have unlimited sick leave policies are not required to track accrual or allow any rollover?

Answer:               If an employer does not limit the amount of sick time an employee can take in a year, they do not have to track accruals or provide rollover to the employees.  Of course, this assumes that the employee would be able to use at least 40 hours of earned sick leave at any point in the year.

Question:            Just to be clear – we have 24 hours per week employees who earn about 30 hours of sick time, but also earn additional personal and vacation time that equal over 40 hours in total.  We don’t have to give them another 10 hours of sick time to get them to the 40 hours, do we?

Answer:               We cannot answer questions that are policy-specific without reviewing that policy.  Generally, as long as you are providing at least 40 hours of for the same protected uses and under the same conditions as those provided for in the sick leave law, the policy is compliant. 

Question:            Our current accruals are less than 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, but over a calendar year earn more than 40 hours. Do we need to change our accrual rates?

Answer:               We cannot answer questions that are policy-specific without reviewing that policy.  Generally, employees must be permitted to accrue earned sick leave in increments of no less than one hour for every 30 hours worked.

Question:            If an employee works 10 hours a day but is paid for 14, what is the appropriate accrual and how should the employee be paid for sick time?

Answer:               Earned sick leave accrues on no less than a one-hour for every thirty hours actually worked or reasonably estimated to have worked. 

Question:            If an employee has an earned time bank of 41 hours, and on January 1, 2016 they carry over that balance, can we put that balance towards their sick time?

Answer:               We cannot answer questions that are policy-specific without reviewing that policy.

Question:            Clarification on lump sum?

Answer:               We are not sure that we understand what is being asked, and it would be difficult to answer without speculating.

Question:            If an employee carries over 30 hours of sick time to the next calendar year, is the employee eligible to accrue 10 additional hours that year? If they use 40 hours of sick time, do they continue to accrue for that year?

Answer:               Yes, employees are able to accrue and use 40 hours of sick time per calendar year.

Question:            As of July 1st, can we modify our Earned Time to a Sick Time bank?

Answer:               We are not sure that we understand what is being asked, and it would be difficult to answer without speculating.

Earned Sick Time Final Regulation Summary and Analysis for Home Care Agencies

The final regulations on paid Earned Sick Time were released by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) on Friday, June 19th with a number of substantial changes from the proposed regulations.   (The AG was charged with developing regulations to implement the new law – which was passed via a binding ballot question in 2014.)

The Home Care Alliance is pleased that most of the association’s comments were taken into consideration and the HCA thanks member home care agencies for their questions, concerns and suggestions. It is such involvement that allows the Alliance to better represent agencies and work for better results through our advocacy efforts.

Below is a basic summary of changes that home care agencies inquired about that were made between the proposed and final regulation.

Additionally, the Boston law firm Donahue, Barrett & Singal posted an analysis available to the public that is an excellent guide to the Earned Sick Time regulations. The Alliance has also partnered with Kurker Paget, LLC on a webinar for HCA members and further details and interpretation may become available.

Summary of Regulation Changes:

Section 33.01: Purpose, Scope and Other General Provisions

  • AGO added that “employees may choose to use, or employers may require employees to use, concurrent earned paid sick time…to receive pay when taking other statutorily-authorized leave that would otherwise be unpaid.”

Section 33.02: Definitions

  • AGO explained that “benefit year” is used interchangeably with “calendar year.”
  • The term “Calendar Year” was simplified to stand for any consecutive 12-month period as determined by the employer.
  • The term “Date of hire” was simplified to mean the employees “first date of actual work.”
  • Much more detail of employees and employers exempt from the law. Clarification that PCA’s are covered.
  • Regular hourly rate is newly defined as “the amount that an employee is regularly paid for each hour of work.”
  • “Same hourly rate” is clarified to mean employees regular hourly rate or, for employees earning varying rates from the same employer, either
    • The wages the employee would have been paid for the hours absent during the use of earned sick time if the employee had worked, or
    • A blended, weighted average of all regular rates over the previous pay period.
    • A clarification made in response to HCA’s comments for employees paid “fee-for-service,” the same hourly rate means a reasonable calculation of the wages or fees the employee would have received for the piece work, service or part thereof, if the employee had worked.
  • A clarification relative to “overtime, holiday pay, or other premium rates” that states “where an employee’s hourly regular hourly rate is a ‘differential rate,’ meaning  a different wage rate paid for the same work performed under differing conditions (e.g. a night shift), the ‘differential rate’ is not a premium.

 Section 33.03: Accrual and Use of Earned Sick Time

  • The AGO clarified that 40 hours per benefit year is the cap under the law. Employees  cannot accrue more unless the employer’s policy allows.
  • Employees accrue sick time only on hours worked, not while on PTO.
  • AGO added “Earned sick time may not be invoked as an excuse to be late for work without an authorized purpose under the regulations.”
  • AGO added “An employee may not accept a specific shift assignment with the intention of calling out sick for all or part of that shift.”
  • AGO added “Employers and their fee-for-service employees may arrange to make up hours during the same or next pay period.
  • AGO clarified “If an employee is exhibiting a clear pattern of taking leave on days just before or after a weekend, vacation, or holiday, an employer may discipline the employee for misuse of earned sick time, unless the employee provides verification of authorized use” under the regulation.

Break in Service

  • Regarding “Break in Service,” the AGO heard the Home Care Alliance’s concerns and shortened the timeline an employee has a right to use any unused sick time following “a break in service of up to four months.” However, following a break in service of between four months and one year, “an employee shall maintain the right to use earned sick time accrued before the break in service” if the unused time equals or exceeds 10 hours.

Transition Year/Safe Harbor

  • AGO clarified the “Transition Year/Safe Harbor” provision for employers with part time staff and per diem staff.
    • These employees must either accrue paid time off at the same rate as covered full time employees or receive prorated “lump sums” of paid time off.
    • If an employee is compensated other than on an hourly or salaried basis, the employee must accrue or receive lump sum allocations based on “a reasonable approximation of hours worked.”

 Section 33.06: Documentation of Use of Earned Sick Time

  • AGO clarified that an employer may require written documentation for an employee’s use of earned sick time that:
    • Exceeds 24 consecutive scheduled work hours;
    • Exceeds 3 consecutive days on which the employee was scheduled to work;
    • Occurs within 2 weeks prior to an employee’s final scheduled day of work before termination of employment, except in the case of temporary employees;
    • Occurs after 4 unforeseeable and undocumented absences within a three-month period.
  • AGO clarified that “health care providers may require employees making any use of earned sick time during local, state or federally declared emergencies to provide written documentation from a medical provider substantiating its use and to follow additional notification procedures set forth by the employer.” The employer may discipline the worker if they fail in this regard.

Fitness for Duty

  • AGO clarified that “an employer may require an employee to provide a ‘fitness-for-duty’ certification, a work release, or other documentation from a medical provider before an employee returns to work after an absence during which earned sick time was used if such certification is customarily required and consistent with industry practice or state and federal safety requirements and reasonable safety concerns exist regarding the employee’s ability to perform duties.”
    • “Reasonable safety concerns” means a reasonable belief of significant risk of harm to the employee or others.

Section 33.07: Allowable Substitution of Employers’ Paid Time Off

  • AGO clarified that “an employer’s own paid time off, vacation, sick leave, or other policy may be substituted for earned sick time so long as 40 hours of time off is provided under the policy, or such lesser amount as each employee might earn if the employer were not using the substitute policy” and the employees can use PTO for the same purposes under the same conditions as outlined in the regulation.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Fallon Total Care Dropping Out of ‘One Care’ Program

The state’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) announced that one of the three health plans managing health care for dually eligible ages 21 to 64 through the One Care Demonstration Program will be dropping out.

As of September 30, 2015, Fallon Total Care will be parting ways with the capitated financial alignment program, which will leave Commonwealth Care Alliance and Network Health as the remaining plans. Fallon Total Care provides One Care coverage in Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties to approximately 5,475 individuals and represented the second largest enrollment of the three plans. Commonwealth Care Alliance, as of the May 2015 enrollment report, was handling 10,305 dually eligible individuals.

“MassHealth assures members who are currently enrolled with Fallon Total Care (FTC) that we will work hard to ensure as smooth a transition as possible, working with current members, FTC, the other One Care plans, our partners at CMS, advocates, and the One Care Implementation Council,” stated MassHealth in a brief statement. “One Care members will not lose their MassHealth or Medicare, and all members will have continuous access to health care services, supportive services, and medications.”

MassHealth also promised further updates on the transition and did not share any reasoning for Fallon Total Care departing the One Care Program.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

MA Attorney General Announces Earned Sick Time ‘Transition Year’

At the first of a string of public hearings to provide input on proposed regulations on the forthcoming earned sick time law, Attorney General Maura Healey announced a “transition year” for employers already offering paid time-off.

The Attorney General explained that for the period of July 1 when the law goes into effect until December 31, 2015, “any employer with a paid time off policy in existence as of May 1, 2015, providing to employees the right to use at least 30 hours of paid time off during the calendar year 2015 shall be in compliance with the law with respect to those employees and to any other employees to whom the use of at least 30 hours of paid time off under the same conditions are extended.”

Further details are available on a bulletin released on the AG’s earned sick time webpage.

The AG also revealed the intent of her office to avoid a six-month delay in implementing the law, as has been requested by some business advocacy groups. With Healey holding firm on not delaying the law’s implementation, and with some major business groups endorsing the “transition year” move, it was very likely a compromise to grant some leniency to employers.

For more information on the earned sick time law as well as how you can submit comments and help the HCA comment, see this previous blog post.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Senate Ways & Means Budget Includes Wins for Home Care

The Home Care Alliance is proud to announce that the Senate Committee on Ways & Means included language for one of the organization’s priority issues that will help strengthen private-pay home care.

An “outside section” in the Senate Ways & Means Committee budget establishes a Commission to study and make recommendations for state oversight options for private-pay home care agencies. The language closely mirrors what the Alliance proposed. Also, it represents a huge step towards attaining not just minimum standards and consumer protection, but greater recognition that private pay home care is an option for families and individuals who need assistance.

Other positive notes came from the Senate’s proposed budget as well. The line item funding the Pediatric Palliative Care Program was increased by $250,000 over what the House approved. The Mass. Department of Higher Education’s “Nursing and Allied Health Workforce” line item was allotted $200,000 after being zeroed out by the Governor and matches the House’s appropriation.

ma budget pie chart picThe Senate also included $150,000 in funding for the “Home and Community-Based Services Policy Lab,” which aims, in part, to study the effectiveness and value of state-funded community-based services.

In the elder services category, the Senate’s proposed budget ups the House in the Home Care Purchased Services account by $3 million along with an additional $866,677 in the Home Care Case Management and Administration account. The other notable increase from the Senate Ways & Means budget is in the elder nutrition program (meals on wheels), which came in $121,889 above the House.

In MassHealth, both the Managed Care and the Senior Care accounts were level-funded. The Senate increased the MassHealth Fee-for-Service line item, which has traditionally governed home health nursing rates, by $481.5 million over the House. However, without specific language for home health included, it would appear an amendment needs to be proposed to raise those MassHealth payment rates.

Outside sections that are mentionable include language to create a “MassHealth savings report” that aims to find savings and cash management strategies in the Executive Office of Health and Human Services budget by October 1, 2015. There is also a commission established to oversee the Center for Health Information and Analysis, whose mission it is to be the clearinghouse for quality, affordability, utilization, access, and outcomes information of the state’s health care system.

The Alliance will look to propose amendments to increase MassHealth rates for home health aides along with restoring skilled nursing rates from the 2008 payment cut. The Alliance also plans to play a supporting role in raising wages for homemakers and creating transparency on federal healthcare reform funding.

Stay tuned for advocacy alerts with details on sending emails urging your state senator to support home care in the state budget.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Paid Sick Time Proposed Regs Need Comments from Home Care Agencies

The Attorney General’s office released proposed regulations for the paid sick time law passed via ballot question and due to be effective on July 1, 2015.

The law essentially states that workers employed by companies with eleven or more employees can earn and use up to 40 hours of paid sick time per calendar year, while employees working for smaller employers can earn and use up to 40 hours of unpaid sick time per calendar year.

A full summary of the law, along with the proposed regulations and a list of public hearing dates are available on a special “Earned Sick Time” webpage on the Attorney General’s website. Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) conducted a quick analysis of the draft regulations posted on their blog.

The Alliance will be testifying on these regulations at the Boston hearing on May 18th so the Alliance strongly encourages home care agencies to review the draft regulation and send comments to James Fuccione so the HCA can formulate testimony. We further encourage agencies to attend and comment at the other hearings and listening sessions to be held across the state and to notify HCA if you’re planning to do so in order for the comments to be consistent.

A full list of the hearing dates and locations are below:

Friday, May 8, 2015
Brockton Listening Session
Location: Brockton Public Library
(304 Main Street, Brockton, MA 02301)
Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Monday, May 11, 2015
Salem Listening Session
Location: City Hall Annex Building, 3rd Floor Conference room
(120 Washington Street, Salem, MA)
Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Friday, May 15, 2015
Lowell Listening Session
Location:  Lowell  Lowell Federal Building
(50 Kearney Square, Lowell, MA)
Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Monday, May 18, 2015
Boston Public Hearing
Location: Saltonstall Building, 2nd floor Conference Rooms C & D
(100 Cambridge Street,  Boston, MA)
Time- 10:30 am – 1:30 pm

Friday, May 22, 2015
Framingham Public Hearing
Location: Framingham Town Hall, Memorial Building, Ablondi Room
(150 Concord Street,  Framingham, MA 01702)
Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Friday, May 29, 2015
Springfield Public Hearing
Location: 1350 Main Street – 3rd Floor Community Room
Time: 10:30 am to 1:30 pm

Friday, May 29, 2015
Pittsfield Public Hearing
Location: Pittsfield City Hall – Council Chambers
(70 Allen Street, Pittsfield, MA)
Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Monday, June 1, 2015
Fall River Public Hearing
Location: City Hall: 1 Government Center – The Hearing Room
(1 Government Center, Fall River, MA 02722)
Time: 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Friday, June 5, 2015
Worcester Public Hearing
Location: Main Library- Saxe Room
(3 Salem Square, Worcester, MA 01608)
Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org

Special Open Door Forum on F2F Template; Alliance Seeks F2F Data

CMS hosted a Special Open Door Forum call yesterday to provide an opportunity for physicians/practitioners, home health agencies and/or all other interested parties to provide feedback on both a paper clinical template and an electronic clinical template for face to face documentation.

Many questions were raised and often the presenters were unable to answer the audience’s questions; the presenters stated they would provide answers during at the April call. The PowerPoint presentation (see slide 5) raised many more questions on which physicians could actually certify homecare; the hospitalist or the community physician. Again the presenters were unable to clarify the regulation for the audience. The presenters were actually debating among themselves whether a discharge planner or physician’s staff could assist completing the documentation for the face to face. A caller confirmed that this was acceptable and CMS had already addressed this issue in the CMS Face to Face Questions, question number 8.

CMS is seeking public comment on this voluntary paper clinical template. Feedback and questions can be sent to: HomeHealthTemplate@cms.hhs.gov.

Additional Special Open Door Forum calls on the templates will be held on April 8 and May 6, 2015, both at 1:00 PM Eastern Time.

In the Alliance’s continued advocacy on the Physician Face-to-Face Requirement, agencies that have ongoing appeals of claims denied for “invalid” F2F documentation are encouraged to send the number of denials, amount of money tied up in those claims, and the status of the appeals to James Fuccione at HCA.

We will share these data by congressional district with the Massachusetts federal delegation so that they can follow up with CMS. Months after a letter was sent from US Senators from the New England region on the same subject, CMS has failed to respond and the Alliance wants to make sure this issue gets the attention it deserves.

Please send this information, along with any questions, to James Fuccione at the Alliance.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Guest Blog Post: Discussing Care Choices on Advancing Illnesses

The following is a guest blog post from JoAnne Nowak MD who is Medical Director at Merrimack Valley Hospice. They are promoting a publication from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, titled “Know Your Choices:  A Guide for Patients with Serious Advancing Illness.” The guide is meant to help healthcare providers adhere to a new state regulation that requires they inform patients with advancing illnesses about their care options and choices. This publication, which Merrimack Valley Hospice has adapted this publication for their use, lists the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts as a resource and the Alliance encourages further promotion and distribution.

As a hospice and palliative care physician, I know that decisions about end of life care are deeply personal, and based on individual values and beliefs.  I’ve also seen first-hand how advance care planning can be an invaluable gift to those you love. Taking the time to talk with your family, close friends and your healthcare providers while you are in good health are all important steps in an advance care planning conversation.

In Massachusetts, a newly implemented regulation requires that all licensed hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities provide information about advance care planning, palliative care, hospice care, and other end of life care options to adults with serious illness.  The goal is to help patients start the conversation and make their end of life care wishes clearly known.

To help you begin, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health recently created “Know Your Choices:  A Guide for Patients with Serious Advancing Illness.” Merrimack Valley Hospice would like to make it easy for you to obtain this guide by making it available on our website because it contains important information about a variety of healthcare choices.  For your free copy, go to http://www.homehealthfoundation.org/patients-resources.  You can also call 978-552-4186 to receive a copy by mail.

It’s time for all of us to start the conversation.

JoAnne Nowak MD
Medical Director, Merrimack Valley Hospice

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

UPCOMING THIS WEEK- Legal Breakfast: Complying with the MA Sick Leave Law

Join us this Wednesday, February 25 from 8:30-11:00 AM at the Sheraton Framingham for breakfast and an educational meeting on Complying with the MA Sick Leave Law.Effective July 1, 2015, all employers in Massachusetts will be required to offer all employees the opportunity to accrue and use sick time.  For employers with more than ten employees, the sick time must be paid; for smaller employers, it may be unpaid.

Whether paid or unpaid, this new requirement is sure to have a SIGNIFICANT impact on your agency’s operations, payroll, and bottom line.

To help our member agencies understand the implications of this new requirement, and the particular challenges of implementing it in the home care setting, the Alliance will sponsor a Wage & Hour Update on Wednesday, February 25, featuring labor attorneys Allyson Kurker and Margaret Paget of Kurker Paget LLP.  Allyson and Margaret are highly regarded within the labor law sector, and have significant experience interpreting labor law for home care providers.  The presentation will include a model sick leave policy that complies with the new MA regulation, AND an update to the Wage & Hour Legal Memorandum prepared last year for the Alliance by Kurker Paget.

In addition to the new sick time requirements, the presentation will cover other recent labor law developments, including new requirements around domestic violence leave, minimum wage, and the domestic workers right to know law.  The presentation will be preceded by a networking breakfast.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get essential labor law advice from leading experts in the field, at a fraction of the price of an hour of legal services!

Registration:

Members: $49/ Person

Non-Members: $99/ Person 

To register, click HERE. For any questions, contact Megan Fournier at mfournier@thinkhomecare.org or 617-482-8830