Mainebiz

V O L . X X I X N O. X X V I N OV E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 2 3 14 L AW / P O L I C Y F O C U S K eeping a restaurant afloat is hard enough with today's staffing challenges, but Steve DiMillo of DiMillo's On the Water fears that things are about to get harder under Maine's new paid family and medical leave law. "We support workers but let's face it, without business there's no workers," he says. "Now all we can do is comply." Along with several other business owners and representatives of groups including the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, DiMillo testified against LD 1964, while leaders of EqualityMaine, the Maine Women's Lobby and others expressed their support. Despite the outcry, the bill passed both houses in June with easy majori- ties and was signed into law in July as part of a two-year state budget. e budget sets aside $25 million for Maine's new paid medical and family leave program, which comes on top of existing state and federal statutes governing unpaid leave. e new benefit is set to kick in on May 1, 2026, entitling nearly all employ- ees in Maine to take up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave annually no matter how long they have been with an employer. Full-time, part-time, seasonal and temporary workers are all covered, and those who are self- employed can opt in. Funding will come from a 1% payroll tax starting Jan. 1, 2025, split evenly between employers and employees at businesses with more than 15 employees; smaller employers will be exempt from P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY We support workers, but let's face it, without business there's no workers. Now all we can do is comply. — Steve DiMillo DiMillo's On the Water Steve DiMillo, manager of DiMillo's On the Water, fears that Maine's new paid family leave law will make staffing challenges worse for his family's restaurant. Feuding over Family Leave B y R e n e e C o r d e s Businesses brace for bigger staffing headaches under Maine's new paid leave law

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