BOSTON — The Massachusetts Senate yesterday approved legislation to ensure that men may take off from work when they have children, and to guarantee that parents of newly adopted children may take leave.
The proposal, which would expand the state's Maternity Leave Act, would revise it to include "gender-neutral" language, the way the federal Family and Medical Leave Act is written.
The federal law only requires employers with 50 or more employees to offer guaranteed unpaid leave - up to 12 weeks - to new parents. The state's law, which currently only applies to female employees, guarantees eight weeks of unpaid leave at companies with six or more employees.
The proposal to expand the law is sponsored by Sens. Brian Joyce, D-Milton, Mark Montigny, D-New Bedford, and Susan Fargo, D-Lincoln. According to Joyce's office, 11 states have similar laws in place, including Rhode Island, Vermont and Connecticut.
During floor debate, Montigny cited the case of a gay, married couple that is unable to take leave to care for an adopted child. According to Joyce's office, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination supports the bill.
