Maine ( ME ) Wage and Hour Laws

Maine (ME) wage and hour laws are designed to establish as fair of working conditions as possible. These laws also serve as a guide for employers located within the state of Maine.

According to Maine (ME) wage and hour laws, the current state minimum wage for employees is $6.50 per hour. It will soon rise to $6.75 per hour as of October 2006. Tipped employees must receive half the current wage ($3.25 maximum tip credit) plus tips. If a tipped employee’s wage plus gratuities do not equal the standard minimum wage for the state of Maine the employer is required to make up the difference.

Besides presenting the current minimum wage, Maine (ME) wage and hour laws also exist to provide fairness between employees of both genders. For example, employers in Maine are required to pay both men and women equally for work that requires the same abilities and credentials.

Overtime is paid to Maine employees for any hours worked over 40 per week, at a rate 1 ½ times that of the employee’s regular hourly wage. Additionally, employers in the sate of Maine may not require employees to work more than 80 hours within two weeks.

As stated within Maine (ME) wage and hour laws employees such as executives or administrators are not required to be paid standard overtime wages. Instead, many salaried workers such as these are paid a minimum wage of $455.00 per week.

In addition to the above provisions made by Maine (ME) wage and hour laws, the state of Maine also requires employees to receive an unpaid break of 30 minutes if they work at least 6 hours in a row. Employers are permitted to require their workers to stay on the premises during that break, and employers are allowed to make that break mandatory. Some exceptions to this rule exist, such as the fact that lunch breaks are not required to be given by employers when less than three people are on duty.

Additional requirements are stated within Maine (ME) wage and hour laws for both employees and employers. It is best that both workers and businesses keep up with the latest changes regarding wages and hours in the state of Maine.