Bill > LD1101

This bill, titled "An Act To Adopt a Retail Workers' Bill of Rights," establishes new protections for retail employees in Maine, defining terms like "Bureau" (Bureau of Labor Standards), "Employee," "Employer" (retail establishments with 10+ employees, excluding nonprofits and government entities), "Full-time" (over 30 hours/week), "On-call shift" (requiring employee contact less than 24 hours before the shift), and "Part-time" (30 hours or less/week). Key provisions include requiring employers to provide a good-faith estimate of minimum monthly hours to new employees, give at least two weeks' advance notice of work schedules, and offer compensation for schedule changes made with less than seven days' notice, with penalties increasing for shorter notice periods. The bill also mandates pay for on-call shifts when an employee is not called in to work, and it ensures part-time employees receive equal starting hourly wages, access to time off, and eligibility for promotions as full-time employees in similar roles, with some exceptions. Furthermore, employers must offer additional work hours first to existing qualified part-time employees before hiring new staff or using temporary agencies, and the Bureau of Labor Standards will create and distribute notices of employee rights in multiple languages, which employers must post. Employers are required to retain work schedule and payroll records for three years and allow bureau access for compliance monitoring, with penalties for violations including fines and civil actions for lost wages and damages. The bill also prohibits retaliation against employees for exercising their rights and allows the Attorney General to seek injunctions and other remedies.