Massachusetts, California & NYC Employers: Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, February Has 3 Deadlines for You

By Samantha Halem, Catherine Reuben, Alicia Ward, Sarah Ruter, Caroline Galiatsos, Sophie Levine   January 22, 2026

There are a few states and localities such as Massachusetts, California, and New York City with employment laws going into effect in February 2026 of which employers with employees in these states should be aware. Let’s dig in:

Massachusetts:

  • Employers with 100 or more employees who are subject to federal EEO filing requirements must file their EEO-1 reports with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth by February 2, 2026 to comply with the Massachusetts Pay Transparency law.
    • Note that the annual deadline for this filing is February 1, but because February 1, 2026 is a Sunday this year, the deadline is extended to February 2.
  • You still must file your EEO reports separately when the EEOC opens its portal for 2025 reporting. If you were already required to file a federal EEO-1 form, this requirement doesn’t change. You simply must also send copies to the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth.

California:

  • California’s Workplace Know Your Rights Act requires employers to provide all current and new employees moving forward with a standalone written notice of their rights by February 1, 2026.
    • Employers must also annually redistribute this notice to employees.
  • The California Labor Commissioner has provided templates in English and Spanish.

New York City:

  • New York City employers must comply with changes to the NYC Safe/Sick Leave laws as of February 22, 2026:
    • The NYC Safe/Sick Leave Expansion requires employers to grant an additional 32 hours of unpaid sick and safe time to eligible employees. This must be made available immediately, front-loaded at hire, and refreshed annually at the start of each calendar year.
      • These 32 unpaid hours are in addition to the existing sick time requirements of 40 paid hours (required for employers with 5 to 99 employees) or 56 paid hours (required for employers with 100+ employees).
      • There is no waiting time for usage (i.e., even an employee hired December 15 would be eligible for 32 hours immediately).
    • In addition, NYC employees are allowed to use NYC Sick and Safe Time for public disaster closures, school closures, caregiving for a minor child, and pursuit of subsistence benefits or housing for the employee, a family member, or care recipient.

For questions or more information, please contact:

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