What does Paid Family and Medical Leave in Maine look like ?

In 2023, Maine became the 13th state to establish a paid family and medical leave program. This program gives workers in the private and public sector the ability to take 12 weeks of paid time off to take care of a family member with a serious health condition, to bond with a child after joining a family by birth, fostering, or adoption, to care for their own medical needs, to deal with the transition of a family member’s impending military deployment or to stay safe after abuse or violence. To pay for the program, employers with more than 15 employees are contributing 1 percent of wages, of which they can get half from employees wages. In simpler terms, workers in Maine will pay just 0.5% of their wages to support this program.

What is happening to this program?

Representative Joshua Morris of Turner has introduced LD 406- An Act to Repeal the Laws Providing for Paid Family and Medical Leave and to Reimburse Taxpayers. If this bill passes, the state of Maine will go back to having no guaranteed paid family or medical leave for its residents.

Why does it matter?

Paid family and medical leave matters to everyone. This program allows parents to bond with a new child without having to decide if they have the financial ability to do so. Not only have programs like this proven to improve maternal and infant health, but they have also proven to help keep employees going back to work after those 12 weeks are up. Without this program, many mothers have had to go back to work 2 weeks after giving birth due to the financial burden.

But, this program isn’t just for new parents. It allows people to take paid time off if one of their close family members suffers a medical crisis. Anyone who has had a family member suffer a medical crisis understands the burden of the cost associated with it. This program not only helps ease that burden, but it also allows you to be there for your family when they need you most.

This program also allows military families to take time to be together before deployment, which is often very hard on families. Allowing military personnel to spend much needed time with their family before they make a great sacrifice for our country is the least we can do as a way to say thank you.

This program allows people suffering from abuse or violence the freedom to take paid time off from work so that they are able to get themselves to safety. Money is often a barrier for someone wanting to leave an abusive relationship; this program helps lift that barrier and keep people safe.

Finally, this program allows you to take paid time off if you yourself suffer a medical crisis. Whether you have to have a major surgery, or you need to undergo cancer treatment - you are covered.

Every person in Maine will, at some point in their lives, benefit from this program. Paid family and medical leave is, quite simply, good for Mainers.

Sign this petition to show that you want to keep Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave!

This bill currently sits in the Labor committee. Let the chairs of the committee, Senator Michael Tipping and Representative Amy Roeder, know that you do not support the repeal of this program. Our families are too important to let this happen.

Add your voice by signing the petition below to tell the chairs of the labor committee know that we NEED paid family and medical leave in Maine.