An Act to Require Minimum Pay for Reporting to Work
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0598
Sponsors: TIPPING, ARCHER
Amends: 26 MRSA §626-A, 26 MRSA §639-A

Legislative Document
No. 598
S.P. 282
In Senate, February 25, 2025
An Act to Require Minimum Pay for Reporting to Work
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on February 19, 2025.  Referred to the Committee 
on Labor pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator TIPPING of Penobscot.
Cosponsored by Representative ARCHER of Saco and
Representatives: BECK of South Portland, GEIGER of Rockland, MACIAS of Topsham, 
ROEDER of Bangor.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  26 MRSA §626-A, first ¶, as amended by PL 2021, c. 404, §2, is further 
amended to read:
Whoever violates any of the provisions of section 600‑A, sections 621‑A to 623 or 
section 626, 628, 628‑A, 629 or, 629‑B or 639-A is subject to a forfeiture fine of not less 
than $100 nor more than $500 for each violation.
Sec. 2.  26 MRSA §639-A is enacted to read:
§639-A.  Minimum pay for reporting to work
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Employee" has the same meaning as in section 663, subsection 3, but does not 
include an individual employed in a seasonal industry as defined in section 1251, 
subsection 1.
B. "Employer" means an employer, as defined in section 1043, subsection 9, that 
employs at least 10 employees in the usual and regular course of business for more 
than 120 days in a calendar year.  "Employer" does not include a public employer as 
defined in section 626.
2. Pay for reporting to work. On any day an employee reports to work at the request 
of an employer and the employer cancels or reduces the number of hours in an employee's 
scheduled shift, the employee must be paid the lesser of:
A. Two hours of pay at the employee's regular hourly rate of pay; and
B. The total pay for the shift for which the employee was initially scheduled. 
3. Notice. An employer that makes a documented good faith effort to notify an 
employee not to report to work is not liable to pay wages under subsection 2. If the 
employee reports to work after the employer's attempt to notify the employee has been 
unsuccessful or if the employer is prevented from making notification for any reason, the 
employee shall perform whatever duties are assigned by the employer at the time the 
employee reports to work, as long as the employee is physically able to perform those 
duties.
4. Exception. The provisions of this section do not apply if an employee is not required 
to work or is unable to work due to:
A. Adverse weather conditions;
B. A natural disaster or civil emergency;
C. An illness or medical condition of the employee; or
D. A workplace injury of the employee.
5. Rules. The Department of Labor may adopt rules to implement and enforce the 
provisions of this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical 
rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
SUMMARY
This bill provides that on any day an employee reports to work at the request of an 
employer and the employer cancels or reduces the number of hours in an employee's 
scheduled shift, the employee must be paid the lesser of 2 hours of pay at the employee's 
regular hourly rate of pay and the total pay for the shift for which the employee was 
scheduled.  An employer that makes a documented good faith effort to notify an employee 
not to report to work is not liable to pay wages. If the employee reports to work after the 
employer's attempt to notify the employee has been unsuccessful or if the employer is 
prevented from making notification for any reason, the employee must perform whatever 
duties are assigned by the employer at the time the employee reports to work.  The 
provision does not apply when an employee is not required to work due to adverse weather 
conditions, a natural disaster, a civil emergency, an illness or medical condition of the 
employee or a workplace injury of the employee. The bill does not apply to public 
employers or certain employers of seasonal employees. The bill applies to employers who 
employ at least 10 employees in the usual and regular course of business for more than 120 
days in a calendar year.