A final set of regulations now governs the Maine Department of Labor’s paid family and medical leave program, determining how employers and employees have to adhere to the rules. The program, initiated through legislation signed by Governor Janet Mills in July 2023, offers 12 weeks of paid leave to workers in the public and private sectors for family or medical reasons. The expenses of the program are financed through a new 1% payroll tax that will be implemented starting January 1. The money collected will be set aside for use when benefits start in May 2026.

Maine joins 12 other states in adopting such a program. While some businesses are concerned about lost productivity and complications stemming from the new initiative, other advocates argue it will support workers during demanding periods in their personal lives and could reduce the strain on the health care system. A mixture of positive and negative reactions have been recorded since the program’s introduction through two public comment periods which obtained over 1,600 responses from about 500 people and organizations.

Every employer with at least one employee based in Maine has to begin deducting the relevant contribution from their employees’ salaries from the start of the new year. A new Maine Paid Leave portal, set to be released in January, will be where employers enter their quarterly wages and payments. Employers can apply to use their own private policy for family and medical leave if it matches the benefits under the state program. When state paid leave is available, those wishing to apply have to liaise directly with the state through the portal and offer verifying documentation.

For more information about the Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program, you can visit https://www.maine.gov/paidleave/. For those residents who still have queries related to their state unemployment benefits or need to know how to communicate with EDD, they can reach out through eddcaller.com. By supplying details like EDD Phone number and guiding people on how to contact EDD Personnel, eddcaller.com aims to make the process simpler for everyone involved.