Enacted on May 28, 2019, Maine’s Earned Employee Leave Law is the first legislation in the United States to allow private employees to earn paid leave that may be used for any reason. Effective Jan. 1, 2021, this law allows eligible employees to earn one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year.

The paid leave requirements only apply to employers with more than 10 employees. Employers with 10 or fewer employees and employers in seasonal industries are exempt. The law does not provide any carryover, employer notice or posting requirements. However, the Maine Department of Labor is expected to adopt regulations that may contain additional requirements.

Maine employers with more than 10 employees should review existing leave policies to ensure that they will comply with the new paid leave requirements, beginning Jan. 1, 2021. Once regulations for these paid leave requirements are issued, employers should review them for additional information.

Refer to the attached compliance bulletin for additional detail and contact your NEEBCo representative with questions.

Maine Passes Expansive Paid Employee Leave Law 6-7-19