Employers in the State of Maine with fifty (50) or more employees should be mindful that the Maine Bureau of Labor has updated its poster for Veterans Benefits and Services...more
On January 11, 2023, at 12:15 p.m., Governor Janet Mills declared a state of emergency in Cumberland County as a result of the severe storm earlier in the week. As Portland, Maine employers may recall, when the State issues a...more
For employers operating in New England, they are likely aware of Connecticut and New York’s recent captive audience statutes, but a quick re-cap on Maine’s recently enacted Captive Audience statute:
Maine’s Captive...more
Last week the United States Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision ending a four-decade precedent which had allowed universities and colleges to consider the race of applicants during the admissions process. What, if anything,...more
7/3/2023
/ Bias ,
College Admissions ,
Colleges ,
Discrimination ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Race Relations ,
Rehabilitation Act ,
State Labor Laws ,
Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College ,
Title VII ,
Universities
On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”)...more
On March 18, the United States House of Representatives passed HR 2116 by a vote of 235-to-189. The Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act (a/k/a CROWN Act), would restrict discrimination on the basis of...more
With the New Year comes changes in many state and federal wage and hour laws. Do you operate in a state that has recently experienced a raise in the minimum wage? It is always best practice to check out your state’s...more
1/3/2020
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Final Rules ,
Highly Compensated Employees ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Maine Bar Survey -- 1581 Total Responses -
In the last 5 years . . .
• Over 8% (128) experienced sexual harassment
• 23% (363) experienced discrimination, bullying, or other harassment
• 10% (160) reported...more
12/19/2019
/ #MeToo ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Corporate Culture ,
Diversity ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws
The last decade has brought with it a significant increase in the number of claims stemming from allegations of discrimination or retaliation as a result of mental health conditions. While we often see an increase in anxiety...more
12/19/2019
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Mental Health ,
OSHA ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Retaliation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
Those closely following the timeline for implementation of Massachusetts’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave, are aware that on July 1, 2019, employers were required to begin to make payroll deductions for the paid leave. Did...more
Many business owners and HR professionals look for a concise and straight forward employee handbook. The truth is, there isn't just one universal handbook to put on a shelf with all you need to know. Listen to this episode of...more
6/12/2019
/ Corporate Culture ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Medical Leave ,
Notification Requirements ,
Paid Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unpaid Leave ,
Wage and Hour
On April 12, 2019, Governor Mills signed into law LD 278, “An Act Regarding Pay Equality.” Under the new laws (5 M.R.S.A. § 4577; 26 M.R.S.A. § 628-A) employers may not “use or inquire about the compensation history of a...more
Over the past few days, while many were preparing turkeys or throwing out lettuce, the Boston Globe posted Trouble is brewing at craft beer darling Trillium... but the long and the short of it is that Trillium changed how it...more
11/26/2018
/ Best Practices ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Minimum Wage ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Relations ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
Multiple states (and some cities) have sexual harassment requirements for certain employers. Currently California, Connecticut, and Maine have training requirements in place and New York’s training requirement will take...more
On July 1, 2018, Massachusetts Pay Equity law takes effect requiring all employers to pay men and women equally for comparable work—a phrase that is different from many similar statutes that have gone into effect over the...more
4/11/2018
/ Affirmative Defenses ,
Audits ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Equity ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sex Discrimination ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour