Articles About Maine Labor and Employment Law.

The Portland, Maine City Council voted unanimously on August 8, 2022, to send five citizen-initiated referendums to voters in the November election.

One of the referendums that will appear on the November 8 ballot – “An Act to Eliminate the Sub-Minimum Wage, Increase the Minimum Wage and Strengthen Protections

Maine recently joined the list of states—including California, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Washington, and others—with laws restricting employers’ use of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) and confidentiality terms in settlement, separation, and severance agreements.

Maine’s governor recently signed H.P. 160 – L.D.

In spite of significant opposition from Maine’s business community, including the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and leaders in the tourism, hospitality, and small business communities, Governor Janet Mills signed into law Legislative Document (L.D.) 225, “An Act Regarding the Treatment of Vacation Time upon the Cessation of Employment” on

The Maine Legislature will soon consider a bill that would raise the salary threshold for overtime pay from $38,250 to $57,375 within three years. If enacted, Legislative Document (L.D.) 607 would increase the threshold for salaried overtime pay in Maine every year, from 3,000 percent of the state’s minimum wage

At their final meeting of the year, on December 20, 2021, city councilors in Portland, Maine left the city’s existing COVID-19 emergency order in place, thereby triggering implementation of a significant hazard pay requirement. As a result, covered employers in Portland must pay hourly employees at least $19.50 per hour starting January 1, 2022.

The Maine Department of Labor announced on September 17, 2021 that the state’s public sector employees will be subject to President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate due to Maine’s state plan agreement with the federal government.

In July 2021, Maine enacted a new “ban-the-box” law that limits employer inquiries into an applicant’s criminal history. Under the new law, entitled “An Act Relating to Fair Chance in Employment,” employers are prohibited from including criminal history inquiries in an application, but can engage in such inquiries during an

Maine’s new “An Act Relating to Fair Chance in Employment” prohibits employers from requesting an applicant’s criminal history on their initial employment applications. An employer may ask about an applicant’s criminal history during an interview or once the applicant has been determined qualified for the position.

The First Special Session of the 130th Maine Legislature ended on July 19, 2021 with a flurry of votes on pending bills. Many of the newly-enacted laws, which were adopted with little debate, will significantly impact almost all employers in the Pine Tree state. Below is a brief summary

Employers in Portland, Maine received long-awaited clarity Tuesday regarding a November 2020 voter referendum raising the city’s minimum wage and instituting hazard pay during states of emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 6, 2021, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court unanimously ruled in Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce

Maine employees will soon be eligible to take protected unpaid leave to care for serious health conditions of their grandchildren. On June 14, 2021, Governor Janet Mills signed into law L.D. 61, an Act to Include Grandparents Under Maine’s Family Medical Leave Laws. The law amends the Maine Family Medical

As the January 1, 2021, effective date of Maine’s Earned Paid Employee Leave Law approaches, the state Department of Labor (DOL) has promulgated the much-anticipated final regulations for implementing the statute.

The countdown is on for when Maine officially becomes the first state to require private employers to provide earned paid leave to employees for any reason.