Earned Sick Time

As a result of the ruling from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, resulting from implementation of the Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law, students who are exempt from paying Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax are exempt from accruing and using earned sick time. During the academic year, most BC students are exempt from paying FICA, so they are exempt from earning and using earned sick time.

However, during the summer, most BC students do pay FICA tax; therefore they are able to accrue, use, and carry forward into the next summer's student employment period earned sick time.

International students may be exempt from FICA, in which case they would not be eligible for Earned Sick Time (EST) during the summer, just as most students are not eligible during the academic year when they’re exempt from FICA then. However, they can check their pay stubs as to whether they pay FICA, or they can contact the Human Resources Service Center for assistance.

More detailed information about EST including Questions and Answers, as well as a public notice about this law, can be found below.

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