On Thursday, June 17, President Biden signed legislation enshrining June 19 as a national day to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. To say it was last minute ignores the 100 plus years of Juneteenth celebrations in black communities nationwide– but it was signed one day before the holiday. Because June 19 was a Saturday, Friday, June 18, marked the federal holiday, leaving even federal employers scrambling. (As he delivered mail on Friday, my mail carrier told me they were in sixes and sevens about whether they would get the time back–so that is first-hand knowledge.)
Here is something lots of people did not know: some states had already enacted Juneteenth holidays, like Massachusetts, which has its good old Blue Laws.
Premium Pay: Under the MA Blue Laws, Juneteenth is a day that is required as premium pay if you have retail employees. The premium rate is 1.2 x regular rate–again, this only applies to retail establishments.
Closure: applies to manufacturing plants. Massachusetts has a list of holidays where manufacturers are required to close. If they choose not to close, they need to obtain a permit. Those holidays are: Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day before 12:00 p.m., Veterans Day before 1:00 p.m., Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Manufacturers not required to close on Juneteenth under state law since it is specifically listed as an exemption to closure.
Here is the link to the Massachusetts website on the Blue Laws: https://www.mass.gov/guides/working-on-sundays-and-holidays-blue-laws.
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