Maine employers, take note: the new “Report to Work” law was enacted on June 24, 2025. This legislation affects businesses with 10 or more employees who work in the regular course of business for more than 120 days per calendar year. It excludes workers in seasonal industries as defined by Maine law. Employers must ensure compliance by the effective date of September 24, 2025.
Minimum Pay for Reporting to Work
If an employee reports to work and is sent home because their shift is canceled or shortened, the employer must pay the employee the lesser of: (1) two hours of pay at the employee’s regular hourly rate, or (2) the total amount the employee would have earned for the originally scheduled shift.
For example, if an employee scheduled for a four-hour shift is sent home after one hour, they must be paid for two hours. If an employee scheduled for a one-hour shift is sent home after fifteen minutes, they must be paid for the one-hour shift.
Exceptions
The law provides exceptions if the employee is prevented from working due to adverse weather, a natural disaster or civil emergency, or the employee’s own illness or workplace injury.
Employers can avoid liability by making documented good faith efforts to notify an employee not to report for work. If these efforts are unsuccessful and the employee reports to work, the employee must perform any assigned duties that the employer has available, provided the employee is physically able. If there are no duties to assign, the employer must compensate the employee as outlined above.
Implementation and Enforcement
Non-compliance can result in fines ranging from $100 to $500 per violation.
The Maine Department of Labor may adopt rules to implement and enforce the new law, although no rules have been adopted yet.
Next Steps for Employers
- Maintain Accurate Time Records: Continue to keep precise time records for hourly employees.
- Adjust Payroll Practices: Effective September 24, 2025, ensure payroll systems are updated to comply with the new compensation requirements for employees whose shifts are canceled or who leave shifts early for qualifying reasons.
- Document any good faith efforts to notify employees not to report for work to avoid liability under the new law.
[View source.]
