Maine Regulation of Employment Poster Mandatory

Time of Payment
Employees must be paid in full at least every 16 days.  Employees 
must be notified of any decrease in wages or salary at least one day 
prior to the change.
Payment of Wages
An employee leaving employment, must be paid in full no later than 
the employee’s next established payday. This may also include the 
payment of accrued vacation pay and/or Earned Paid Leave.
Unfair Agreement  
Employers cannot require that an employee pay for losses such as 
broken merchandise, bad checks, or bills not paid by customers, nor 
for special uniforms and certain tools of the trade. 
Rest Breaks
Most employees must be offered a 30 consecutive minute paid or 
unpaid rest break after 6 hours of work.
Nursing mothers must be provided with unpaid break time or be  
permitted to use their paid break or meal time to express milk.  
The employer must make reasonable efforts to provide a clean room 
or location, other than a bathroom, where the milk can be expressed.
Family Medical Leave
An employee who has worked for the last 12 months at a workplace 
with 15 or more employees may be entitled to up to 10 weeks of paid 
or unpaid leave for a qualifying event. 	
 
 Birth or adoption of a child or domestic partner’s child;
 
 Serious health condition of the employee or immediate family  
  member, including domestic partner; domestic partner’s child,  
  grandchild, domestic partner’s grandchild;
 
 Organ donation;
 
 Death or serious health condition of the employee’s spouse,  
  domestic partner, parent or child if it occurs while the spouse,  
  domestic partner, parent or child is on active duty;
 
 Serious health condition or death of a sibling who shares joint  
  living and financial arrangements with the worker.	
 	
(Federal family medical leave is different, call 866-487-9243 for more 
information.)	
Leave for Victims of Violence, Assault, Sexual Assault or Stalking
Must be allowed upon request if an employee (or a child, parent or 
spouse of an employee) is a victim of violence, assault, sexual assault 
or stalking or any act that would support an order for protection 
under Title 19-A M.R.S.A., c. 101 and the employee needs the time to:	
 
 Prepare for and attend court proceedings; or
 
 Receive medical treatment; or
 
 Obtain necessary services to remedy crisis.	
Leave to Care for Family
If the employer’s policy provides for paid time off, the employee must 
be allowed to use up to 40 hours in a 12-month period to care for an 
immediate family member who is ill.
Earned Paid Leave 
An employer that employs more than 10 employees in the usual and 
regular course of business for more than 120 days in any calendar 
year shall permit each employee to earn paid leave based on the 
employee’s base pay. An employee is entitled to earn one hour of paid 
leave from a single employer for every 40 hours worked, up to 40 
hours in one year of employment. Accrual of leave begins at the start 
of employment, but the employer is not required to permit use of the 
leave before the employee has been employed by that employer for 
120 days during a one-year period.
Earned Income Tax Credit
Employees may be eligible for federal and state earned income tax  
credits. Employees may apply for the tax credits on the employee’s 
income tax return.
Note:  Maine employers may also be covered under the Federal 
Fair Labor Standards Act. For more information, contact the U.S. 
Department of Labor Wage and Hour Office at 866-487-9243. 	
At-Will Employment —Under Maine law, an at-will employee 
may be terminated for any reason not specifically prohibited 
by law. In most instances, you are an at-will employee unless 
you are covered by a collective bargaining agreement or other 
contract that limits termination. If you have questions about 	
 	
at-will employment, contact your human resources department 
or the Bureau of Labor Standards.	
For more information, contact:	
Maine Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Standards  45 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0045 
located at: 45 Commerce Drive 
Telephone:  207-623-7900  | TTY users call Maine Relay 711. 
Website: www.maine.gov/labor/bls | Email: [email protected]	
Maine Law (Title 26 
M.R.S.A. § 42-B) requires 
every employer to 
place this poster in 
the workplace where 
workers can easily see it.	Labor Laws of the State of Maine provide protection for people who 
work in Maine.  The Maine Department of Labor administers the 
laws, which all employers must follow. Department representatives 
inspect workplaces to ensure compliance. Citations and penalties 
may be issued to employers who do not comply.
This poster describes some important parts of the laws.  A copy of 
the actual laws or formal interpretations may be obtained from the 
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards, by calling  
207-623-7900.  (The laws are also on the Bureau’s web site.)	
   rev. 12/23
The Maine Department of Labor provides equal opportunity in employment and programs. Auxiliary aids and services are available to people with disabilities upon request.	
This poster is available online at no charge and may be copied:  https://www.maine.gov/labor/posters/	      	
Regulation of Employment	
 
Bureau of Labor Standards