
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act creates paid sick leave and paid family medical leave for private sector employers of less than 500 employees for qualifying events. We are updating our previous guidance about these laws to bring you the most current information as the federal agencies involved in implementation issue their own guidance.

We provided updates throughout the week regarding the key elements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act signed into law on March 18, 2020. Although the effective date of the law is April 2, 2020, the law authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to allow earlier access to the tax credits.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act has been enacted and signed into law and will be effective no later than April 2, 2020. Congress failed to explain what “no later than” means in this context, though the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to select the date on which the tax credits shall begin. This is an updated e-alert from the one we issued last night.

Effective March 18, 2020, at 6:00 pm, Maine Governor Mills took further steps to respond to COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of Maine people. While all restaurants and bars remain closed to dine-in service until March 31, 2020, on-premise licensees, such as restaurants and bars among others, who offer carry-out, delivery, and/or drive thru food service are temporarily permitted to also sell and deliver beer and wine in the original manufacturers’ sealed containers.

Late Friday night, the United States House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The Senate is expected to take up this legislation on Monday.

As the number of reported cases of the Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) continue to rise, travelers are on high alert. The World Health Organization (the WHO) has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

Starting next year, the minimum salary requirement for employees classified as salaried exempt under the executive and administrative white collar minimum wage and overtime exemptions will be $684.00 per week, or $35,568 per year.

On September 18, 2019, Maine’s new law limiting an employers’ use of non-compete agreements will take effect. The law prohibits employers from entering into new non-compete agreements with employees in the state earning at or below 400% of the federal poverty level (400% of the federal poverty level is currently $49,960).

We are pleased to announce that Peter Bennett has been elected Chair of the Board of Trustees of The National Judicial College (NJC), the nation’s oldest and largest institution of judicial education.