Update Applicable to:	Effective Date
All Employers in Maine	August 6, 2025

What happened?

On June 12, 2025, Maine Governor Janet Mills signed Senate Bill 383 / Legislative Document 894 into law, amending the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program to clarify leave rules, establish enforcement mechanisms, and create a new administrative bureau.

Overview:

Intermittent Leave Rules

• Employees may take PFML in increments of at least one full workday.
  
  
• Shorter increments are allowed only if both employer and employee agree.
  
  
• Leave cannot be taken in increments smaller than one hour, even by agreement.
  
  
• Intermittent leave does not reduce the total leave entitlement.

New Bureau of Paid Family and Medical Leave

• A new bureau within the Department of Labor will manage PFML.
  
  
• The Commissioner of Labor is authorized to hire staff, enforce rules, and coordinate with other agencies.

Enforcement for Missed Payments

• The Department may file lawsuits or levy third-party assets to collect unpaid premiums, penalties, or assessments.
  
  
• Employers must ensure timely and accurate payments to avoid legal action.

Successor Liability

• Buyers of a business are liable for unpaid PFML obligations of the seller.
  
  
• Liability is capped at the value of the acquired business or assets.
  
  
• The Department must provide liability information upon request.

Penalties for Private Plan Lapses

• Employers offering private PFML plans face:
  • $100 per violation.

• Fines equal to missed premiums.

• A 1% payroll penalty for the lapse period.

• Employers cannot use employee contributions to pay these fines.

Department of Labor Structure Update: The Bureau of Paid Family and Medical Leave is now a permanent part of the Department of Labor.

Source References

• Maine SP 383 – An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Paid Family and Medical Leave

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