Short answer. 1 hour of earned paid leave for every 40 hours worked. Up to 40 hours in a defined year, or the accrual limit in the employer's own paid leave policy if higher. Use may begin: employers can apply a 120-day wait before new employees use accrued leave.
At a glance
- Law
- Earned Paid Leave law (26 M.R.S. 637)
- In effect
- January 1, 2021.
- Accrual
- 1 hour of earned paid leave for every 40 hours worked.
- Yearly limit
- Up to 40 hours in a defined year, or the accrual limit in the employer's own paid leave policy if higher.
- Use may begin
- Employers can apply a 120-day wait before new employees use accrued leave.
- Agency
- Maine Department of Labor
Example with dates
Suppose someone at an employer in the "more than 10 employees" group starts on Monday, January 4, 2027 and works 35 hours every week. At 1 hour per 40 hours worked, that's 0.87 hours a week, and the first year comes to 40 hours, with the accrual cap of 40 hours reached on Monday, November 22, 2027. The latest an employer could hold off use is Tuesday, May 4, 2027.
- By Sunday, April 4, 2027: 10.50 hours
- By Sunday, July 4, 2027: 21.87 hours
- By Tuesday, January 4, 2028: 40 hours
Your own figures: open the calculator set to Maine.
What the time covers
Any reason, such as an emergency, illness, sudden necessity or a planned vacation.
Unused hours at year end
Employees must be allowed to carry over all accrued, unused earned paid leave from one defined year to the next.
Front-loading instead of accrual
Allowed at the employer's discretion at the beginning of the year.
Smaller employers and who is covered
Applies only to employers with more than 10 employees in Maine for more than 120 days in a calendar year.
Notices, posters and statements
Employees give notice as soon as practicable for emergencies, illness or sudden necessity, and may be asked for up to 4 weeks' advance notice otherwise. Employers must post Maine's Regulation of Employment poster.
Not stated on the official pages we read: local ordinances.
Official sources
- Earned Paid Leave (Maine Department of Labor) (checked November 2026)
Rules as published on the pages above, checked November 2026. General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. A city ordinance, union contract or written policy can give employees more.
Questions employers ask
How much paid sick leave do employees earn in Maine?
1 hour of earned paid leave for every 40 hours worked. Up to 40 hours in a defined year, or the accrual limit in the employer's own paid leave policy if higher.
When can a new employee start using sick leave in Maine?
Employers can apply a 120-day wait before new employees use accrued leave.
Does unused sick time carry over to the next year in Maine?
Employees must be allowed to carry over all accrued, unused earned paid leave from one defined year to the next.
Can a Maine employer front-load sick leave instead of tracking accrual?
Allowed at the employer's discretion at the beginning of the year.
Do small employers in Maine have to provide it?
Applies only to employers with more than 10 employees in Maine for more than 120 days in a calendar year.
What can Maine sick leave be used for?
Any reason, such as an emergency, illness, sudden necessity or a planned vacation.
All states: paid sick leave laws by state · Illinois · Maryland