Maine State Chamber submits comments on proposed Paid Family & Medical Leave rules; Maine Department of Labor public comment period ends today

For Immediate Release                                                                                         Media contact: Jen Webber
Monday, July 8, 2024                                                                                                       Cell: 207-939-0213

​AUGUSTA, Maine (Monday, July 8, 2024) – The Maine State Chamber of Commerce submitted written comments on proposed Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) rules to the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) today. Today is the last day of MDOL’s comment period on the proposed rules, which were published on May 20, 2024, following the Maine State Legislature’s passing and enacting Maine’s PFML law in 2023 establishing the State program. Previously, Maine State Chamber President and CEO Patrick Woodcock provided testimony at a public hearing on June 10th in Augusta. 
 
In Woodcock’s written comments and letter to MDOL Paid Family and Medical Leave Program Director Luke Monahan, Woodcock thanked MDOL for the opportunity to comment on the proposed rules and shared, “The Maine Chamber of Commerce has a profound interest in making the PFML program work for its members and employees. The PFML program is the most consequential state initiative to affect employers and employees alike in decades. 
 
“We appreciate the time and effort from the Department of Labor to implement this program under significant time pressure with financial contributions commencing in less than six months. At the same time, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce believes the rules must be overhauled to be consistent with the statute, and there are numerous areas in the proposed rules that require clarification. 
 
“Specifically, the utilization of private plans for compliance, a major discussion point during the legislative process and integral to other state plans, is subverted by the rules that will cause enormous financial hardship in a matter of months on businesses and employees alike. Furthermore, the hardship provision is inconsistent with the statute by undercutting a key role of the employer in determining a reasonable hardship. These two provisions are fundamental to the Maine PFML statute and must be overhauled in the rules. 
 
“The Maine State Chamber looks forward to partnering in the implementation of Maine’s PFML program.”
 
For more information on the Maine State Chamber’s recommendations to MDOL on the proposed PFML rules, including the Maine State Chamber’s June 10, 2024,  public hearing  testimony before MDOL and a recording of the Maine State Chamber’s June 6, 2024 roundtable with businesses, please click here or visit www.mainechamber.org/pfml.

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About the Maine State Chamber of Commerce:
Founded in 1889, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce is Maine’s largest business association, serving as “The Voice of Maine Business” on behalf of thousands of employers of all sizes and sectors across the state. The Maine State Chamber focuses on three pillars - Advocacy, Access, and Awareness - to advance a positive business climate and secure a strong state economy in which Maine businesses can compete and succeed. For more information, please visit www.mainechamber.org.