Bill > H33

This bill modifies the definition of "wages" for retirement calculations in Massachusetts to include specific supplemental payments made by an employer to an employee while the employee is receiving workers' compensation or disability payments. Specifically, the bill allows supplemental payments that top up weekly incapacity payments to be considered as wages for retirement calculation purposes, with an important limitation: these supplemental payments, when combined with the incapacity payments, cannot exceed the amount the employee would have normally earned during the period of incapacity, as determined by the retirement board. The bill amends Chapter 32 of Massachusetts law, which governs retirement systems, and references several sections of Chapter 152 related to workers' compensation and other disability payment provisions. By including these supplemental payments in the definition of wages, the bill ensures that employees who are temporarily disabled do not suffer a reduction in their eventual retirement benefits due to time spent receiving disability payments.

Budget and Finance, Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H33