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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 N OV E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 2 3 F O C U S L AW / P O L I C Y contributing, though their employ- ees will still have to pay their share. Employers with private plans that go beyond the state-sponsored one will be allowed to keep those plans in place pending approval from the Maine Department of Labor. e issue remains highly divisive. "Many employers, I believe, look at it as a tax that employees and employ- ers are forced to bear even though not all employees will take advantage of the benefit," says Tawny Alvarez, a partner at Portland-based law firm Verrill. With opponents seeing little chance of repeal, Maine employers, lawyers and human resources profes- sionals are anxiously awaiting guid- ance from the Maine Department of Labor on how to implement what's being called one of the country's broadest and most generous paid fam- ily and medical leave programs. In joining a dozen other states and Washington, D.C., with universal paid leave, Maine is embarking on what the Maine State Chamber of Commerce predicts will be "the most impactful and significant workplace legislation enacted in the last four decades." In the mean- time, there's a lot to digest. The new law in a nutshell To be eligible for paid leave, workers will need to have earned at least six times the state average weekly wage in total over the base period. (In 2022, the state aver- age weekly wage was $1,103.) Benefits are portable, as noted by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for American Progress in a July report, mean- ing that someone who recently changed jobs could count income from their past and current job, while someone with two jobs could count income from both. dwmlaw.com dwmlaw.com | 800.727.1941 800.727.1941 A Different Way of Looking at Things In business, you have a lot to keep your eye on. Sometimes it's hard to see the opportunities and the risks clearly. That's where Drummond Woodsum can help. We use a team approach – a small group of highly specialized attorneys focused on helping your business see what's ahead before you take that next step. It's extremely efficient and cost-effective, and an excellent way to get the legal insight you need when you need it. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F C O A S TA L M A I N E BO TA N I C A L G A R D E N S — T RO L L S C U L P T U R E / R Ø S K VA B Y T H O M A S DA M BO $19.95 December 26, 2022 VO L . X X V I I I N O. X X X www.mainebiz.biz S P O N S O R E D B Y SP ONSORED BY C O M I N G S O O N The 2024 Mainebiz Book of Lists Who's number one? That's what the Maine business community looks for every year in the Book of Lists. Mainebiz researches companies, executives and transactions in many industries and ranks them by various factors. This comprehensive information on hundreds of companies it the ultimate tool for decision makers who are doing business in Maine. Each list can be downloaded in an Excel format, and a digital version of the entire Book of Lists includes online-only data as well as contact information for Maine companies. ORDER YOUR COP Y ONLINE NOW AT MAINEBIZ.BIZ/BOL OR ORDER A DIGI TAL LIS T TODAY AT MAINEBIZ.BIZ/LISTS 2 0 2 3 C OV E R Timeline for paid leave in Maine Oct. 25, 2023: Paid Medical and Family Leave program established Jan. 1, 2024: Authority to be appointed Spring 2024: Maine Department of Labor rulemaking begins Jan. 1, 2025: Start of payroll contributions May 1, 2026: Benefit begins S O U R C E : Maine Department of Labor M O R E I N F O : maine.gov/labor/pfml C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E »

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