Bill
S 1330
Massachusetts will run a two-year pilot allowing four-day work weeks with no pay reduction, funded by a state tax credit for participating private employers.
Status snapshot
- Primary bill text filed in the Massachusetts Senate by Sen. Dylan A. Fernandes (Plymouth & Barnstable) as “An Act relative to a four‑day work week pilot program” (Senate Docket No. 317, filed 1/10/2025).
- Bill directs the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) to run the pilot. Hearing scheduled 06/10/2025 (per supplied actions). Note: some provided metadata appears to mix other bills/collections (see final note).
Purpose and intent
- Establish a state‑led pilot program (the “Massachusetts Smart Work Week Pilot”) to promote, incentivize, and study implementation of four‑day work weeks in Massachusetts employers.
- Measure economic, operational, and employee wellbeing impacts to inform future policy.
Key provisions
- Definition: “Four‑day work week” = a meaningful reduction in actual work hours without any reduction in overall pay.
- EOLWD must begin accepting employer applications within one year of enactment and publicize the opportunity statewide.
- Minimum employer participation proposal: each employer’s proposal must apply to at least 15 employees.
- EOLWD will select a diverse set of qualifying employers (by size, industry, geography) and encourage participation from veteran-, women-, minority-, and disability‑owned businesses. Public employers may participate but are ineligible for tax credits.
- Participating employers must sign an agreement to implement transition plans and guarantee participating employees no loss of pay, status, or benefits.
- Employees must be informed and may opt out of the employer’s pilot; participating employees may also opt out of interviews/surveys. Employee data collection must be anonymized.
Data collection, reporting, and evaluation
- Ongoing data collection: employee surveys at start, midpoint, and end; employee interviews start and end; employer interviews at start/end and annually; monthly economic/administrative data from employers.
- Pilot duration: minimum two years.
- EOLWD to publish annual progress reports (by Dec. 31 each year) and a final report at pilot completion. Final report must include participant counts, employer/employee demographics, economic and social impacts, wellbeing outcomes, and recommendations.
Tax incentive
- Participating private employers may claim a state tax credit against liabilities under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 62 (income tax) or ch. 63 (excise) for participation; public-sector employers are excluded.
- Credit terminates in the taxable year when the pilot concludes.
- Eligibility for the credit requires at least one year of participation and submission of a transition report with required data.
- Secretary of Labor, in consultation with Department of Revenue, will promulgate regulations for credit applications and amount determination.
Who is affected
- Participating employers (private and public, though public employers are ineligible for the tax credit), and their employees who opt into the pilot.
- State agencies (EOLWD, Dept. of Revenue) for administration, oversight, data collection and regulation.
Implementation timeline & process
- EOLWD begins taking applications within one year of enactment.
- Pilot runs at least two years with periodic reporting; tax credit available during pilot period and expires when pilot concludes.
- Regulations to be developed for tax credit application and amounts.
Potential impacts to evaluate
- Employee wellbeing and work–life balance, productivity, retention, and job status.
- Employer operational impacts, costs, and sectoral differences.
- Fiscal impact to state via tax credits and economic effects.
Note on metadata
- The materials provided include inconsistent or mixed metadata (references to other bills, federal sponsors, and separate topics such as a “BRAIN Act” and “automatic payment plans”). The summary above reflects the core Massachusetts bill text establishing the four‑day work week pilot (Senate Docket No. 317, authored/presented by Dylan A. Fernandes). If you want, I can reconcile the other metadata or produce a standalone timeline based strictly on the supplied legislative actions.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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