Resources: Employment Law Resources

Be honest: when you saw the word, “millennial” in the title of this article, did you roll your eyes?  You’re not alone.  Many employers’ first reaction to “millennials” is that they are “lazy,” “entitled,” and generally annoying to deal with.  But, this little workplace problem isn’t going away.  According to Forbes Magazine, by 2025 millennialsRead More

Under both federal law and Maine law, employers have to allow unpaid break time for nursing mothers.  If during the time the employee is not completely relieved of all work duties (don’t overthink this), the time must be paid.  Maine law requires that the time must be provided for up to 3 years after birth;Read More

Starting in January 2019, Maine’s minimum wage goes up to $11.00 an hour. Is there a new poster that goes with that change?  Yes there is, and you can print it free from this link:  https://www.maine.gov/labor/posters/2018/minimumwage.pdf That minimum wage rate also affects the minimum that must be paid to salaried employees in order to keepRead More

Your managers are key to many aspects of your organization – everything from employee engagement to reducing liability to knowing the employees enough to recognize when they are impaired. They are also your front line when employees are asking for time off for medical issues, which may trigger liability to offer disability or family medicalRead More

The United States Department of Labor (DOL)’s Wage and Hour Division announced recently that it published several new guidance documents called “opinion letters” on wage and hour issues.  An “opinion letter” is an official, written opinion by the DOL on how a particular law applies in specific circumstances.  These opinion letters can be quite helpfulRead More

Whether it’s a job interview, a presentation, or an inspection by a government auditor, first impressions count. That may be old news or common sense for most but we don’t always think of how to apply that to the work place and being ready for an OSHA or other inspection. How does that play outRead More

UP TO THE MINUTE UPDATE: DOES THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING POSTER APPLY TO YOU? We recently posted an article (link to article) letting employers know that the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) issued a new poster about human trafficking (which you can find HERE). According to the MDOL’s website, that poster is required for all employers. Read More

Just last month, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found that a supervisor had violated the law by engaging in “unlawful surveillance of an employee’s online union activity, including an investigation of the employee’s Facebook page.” The case, called AdvancePierre Foods, Inc., sends a signal that the NLRB is looking to crack down on employerRead More

UP TO THE MINUTE UPDATE: New Employment Poster Required as of August 2nd!           The Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) has issued a new poster about human trafficking which you can find HERE. Employers are required to display this poster in the workplace as of August 2, 2018.           While you’re downloading, printing and puttingRead More

Reasonable Accommodation for What?? Although there are many arguments supporting medical use of marijuana, the problem for employers is the impact on safety in the workplace and the risk of violating federal law, which still lists marijuana as illegal. So what happens when an employee with a disability comes to you and requests a “reasonableRead More