Maine adopts final rule on paid family and medical leave

Augusta, ME — The Maine Department of Labor has adopted a final rule establishing a paid family and medical leave program.

Eligible workers in the private and public sector will have 12 weeks of paid time off available to them for family or medical reasons, including illness, caring for a relative or for the birth of a child. Payroll contributions will begin Jan. 1, 2025, with benefits scheduled to begin May 1, 2026.

Maine is now the 13th state to have a paid family and medical leave program.

MDOL has published an information flyer on the program for employers. The agency’s YouTube page includes on-demand webinars explaining the program for employers and third-party administrators. The department says it’s planning future worker-focused webinars as the benefits date nears.

Rulemaking for the program began this past spring and included two rounds of public comment, during which MDOL reviewed more than 1,600 comments.

“Thank you to all who submitted comments, attended listening sessions and have been following this process,” Luke Monahan, director of paid family and medical leave for MDOL, said in a Dec. 4 press release. “Your input was valuable, and we can now take on the important next step of communicating how the program will work for both employers and workers. We are excited to now have a final rule in place.”