By Bob Katzen

Effective January 1, the state’s minimum wage rises from $12.75 per hour to $13.50 per hour and the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers will rise from $4.95 per hour to $5.55 per hour. This hike is the third of five annual increases mandated by a law passed in 2018 that will eventually bring the minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2023.

Massachusetts’ new paid family and medical leave program also takes effect on January 1. It allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of job-protected paid leave to care for a new child; up to 12 weeks to meet family needs arising from a family member’s active duty military service; up to 20 weeks to recover from a serious illness or injury; and up to 26 weeks to care for a seriously ill or injured service member. Six months later, beginning on July 1, 2021, workers will be able to take up to 12 weeks of job-protected paid leave to care for a seriously ill or injured family member.

For more information on the family and medical leave program, go to https://www.mass.gov/orgs/department-of-family-and-medical-leave