Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
At the State House in August, Gov. Maura Healey takes part in a ceremonial signing of legislation aimed at closing gender and racial wage gaps in Massachusetts. Requirements under the new law are going into this effect this year.
A new state law requires certain workforce data reporting by employers already subject to EEO-1 and EEO-5 requirements by the federal government.
Employers need to submit a copy of the same Equal Employment Opportunity Commission report, but via the Secretary of State’s web portal.
Copies of EEO-5 reports, pertaining to elementary and secondary schools, had to be submitted by Feb. 3, while copies of municipal EEO reports (EEO-4) aren’t due until 2026.
The new law, commonly known as the Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act, signed last July by Gov. Maura Healey, focuses on closing gender and racial wage gaps in the Commonwealth.
The law requires all U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports to be collected by the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth and aggregated by the state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.
Like many employers, cities and towns are subject to certain federal reporting requirements, and municipalities with 100 or more employees must file reports with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. These biennial filings (EEO-4 reports) cover workforce demographic data, including data by race, ethnicity, sex, job category, and salary band.
The wage equity law creates a process for the state to compile and analyze the aggregated EEOC report data. It also seeks to avoid any administrative burden on local officials by simply requiring the submission of any existing EEOC report to the secretary of state.
The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development has compiled a comprehensive FAQ page to help employers navigate the reporting process.
The Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act also requires Massachusetts employers with 25 or more employees to disclose reasonable wage or salary ranges when hiring for a position — something that is already a common practice across local government. The requirements for salary ranges on job postings will go into effect on Oct. 29, 2025.