Maine Passes Bill Offering Employees Paid Leave for Any Reason

The Maine State Legislature passed a bill that would provide 85 percent of the state’s private sector employees with 40 hours of paid leave each year, which they could use for any purpose.

“An Act Authorizing Earned Employee Leave” (L.D. 369) would require employers with 10 or more employees, except seasonal employers, to offer 40 hours of paid leave per year to their employees. And while 10 states and Washington, D.C. have passed laws that order employers to offer paid sick leave, Maine’s proposal would allow employees to take paid leave to care for a newborn, attend a loved ...