Minimum wage earners will see a pay increase and employers will have to pay departing employees for unused vacation time under laws taking effect Jan. 1 in Maine.
Maine’s minimum wage will increase from $12.75 to $13.80 based on a state law that requires annual adjustments based on a cost of living index. Meanwhile, another law requires companies with more than 10 workers to pay out any unused, accrued vacation time to employees when they leave.
Manufacturers of products containing intentionally added chemicals known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance) are being required to report the presence of the so-called forever chemicals in the new year. Those “forever chemicals” are also being banned from new carpets, rugs and fabric treatments. But the state’s full ban on those so-called forever chemicals doesn’t begin until 2030. PFAS are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” because of their inability to fully break down.
Maine Enacts Law That Will Ban Use of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in All Products by 2030
In 2021, Maine enacted its law making it the first state to ban the use of PFAS in nearly all products, as reported by Insurance Journal. The legislation will ban the use of PFAS compounds in all products by 2030, except in specific cases where their use is considered unavoidable. These instances include in certain products that have been deemed essential for health, safety or the functioning of society and for which alternatives are not reasonably available.
The state says the full extent of PFAS contamination in Maine is not currently known but is anticipated to be widespread and will require significant resources to identify and remediate.
Topics Legislation Maine
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