Read this if you are an employer with more than 10 employees in Maine.
With 2020 quickly coming to an end, employers must be prepared to implement the new Maine Earned Paid Leave Law (EPL), effective January 1, 2021. The EPL law requires employers with more than 10 employees in Maine, for more than 120 days in any calendar year, to permit eligible employees to earn one (1) hour of earned time for every 40 hours worked, up to a maximum of 40 hours per year.
A notable highlight of Maine’s EPL law, is that leave may be taken for any reason, making it the first law of its kind in the country. EPL may be taken for, but not limited to, an emergency, illness, sudden necessity, and planned vacation. Employees are required to notify employers as soon as practicable if EPL is to be taken for an emergency, illness, or sudden necessity. For any other reason, an employer may require that employees give up to four (4) weeks advance notice.
Covered employees and base rate of pay
The EPL law applies to all full-time, part-time, and per diem employees. Generally, seasonal employees, including summer interns and international workers, are exempt from the EPL rules. A determination of whether a business is seasonal and/or has a seasonal period must be made considering the rules defined by 26 M.R.S.A. § 1043, subsections 9 and 11, and § 1251 before seasonal employees can be excluded.
Employers are required to pay EPL at least at the same “base rate of pay” that an employee received in the week prior to taking leave. The base rate of pay is calculated by dividing total earnings from the week immediately prior by the total hours worked during the same period. Important to note, earnings for this purpose include bonuses, commissions, and other compensation as provided in 26 M.R.S. §664(3). This means that an employer will need to consider overtime and/or other special payments received by the employee during the week prior to the week leave is taken. Employers may need to make adjustments to existing policies and procedures to incorporate the definition of “base rate of pay” for the leave earned under the EPL. If an employer offers more than 40 hours of leave to an employee annually, the first 40 hours of leave available each year must be paid at the employee’s “base rate of pay”.
Additionally, employees must receive the same benefits as those provided under other established employer policies pertaining to other types of paid leave.
Timing & accrual
EPL accrual begins on an employee’s first day of employment. However, an employer may require that new employees wait for a period of up to 120 calendar days during a one-year period before taking EPL. For example, an employee who begins work on November 1st, 2020 would be eligible to use accrued leave after March 1st, 2021, if an employer elected to use the 120-day waiting period. Those employees who have been employed for at least 120 days during a one-year period prior to January 1, 2021, may use their leave as soon as it is earned.
Should an employer allow employees to take EPL before it has been earned, any unearned amount may be withheld from an employee’s final paycheck in the event of separation from employment. Additionally, an employer may elect to provide additional leave above and beyond the 40-hour maximum, at its discretion.
Employees may earn and take up to 40 hours of EPL in any defined year, and can carry over up to 40 hours of accrued and unused EPL from one defined year to the next. For this purpose, a defined year, as stated by the employer, may include, but is not limited to, a calendar year or an employee’s anniversary date. If an employee rolls over 40 hours of unused accrued EPL from one year to the next, the employee will not accrue any additional hours until the following year. If an employee rolls over less than 40 hours, the employee will only accrue hours until the 40-hour maximum is met. For example, if an employee rolls over eight (8) hours of unused accrued EPL from the previous year the employee is only entitled to accrue up to 32 additional hours of EPL in the present year, regardless of how much leave the employee uses in the current year. Employers may require EPL to be taken in increments of one hour or less. However, an employer may not require EPL to be taken in larger than one-hour increments.
The EPL law does not address the treatment of any earned paid leave remaining upon an employee’s separation from employment. However, the relevant guidance indicates an employer should honor its written policy or established practice in this area. This means if an employer typically pays out unused vacation/earned benefit/paid time off then unused EPL must be paid out when an employee’s employment ends. If an employer does not compensate an employee for the unused balance of EPL when employment ends, based on its policy and practice, then it will need to make the leave available to the employee if they return to work for that employer within a one-year period.
Exceptions
The EPL law does not apply to an employee covered by a collective bargaining agreement during the period between January 1, 2021 and the expiration of the agreement. Any subsequent agreement would be required to comply with the EPL law.
Compliance
Employers are not required to, but it is recommended that they create a written policy to clearly communicate restrictions and to avoid any misunderstandings. For example, there may be planning opportunities with identifying times of the year, month, or week that leave may be restricted due to operational needs, other than leave for an emergency, illness, or sudden necessity. In doing so, employers must be able to prove undue hardship if they deny the use of EPL for any reason. Considerations for determining undue hardship could include significant expenses, financial resources available, and the size of the workforce, among others.
A written policy should also help to ensure compliance with the EPL rules. Failure to do so may result in penalties being assessed of up to $1,000 per violation, where each denial of paid leave constitutes a separate violation. For more information, employers may visit the ME DOL's website, which includes a link to its Frequently Asked Questions.
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