Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

130th MAINE LEGISLATURE
                  FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2021
Legislative Document                                                                         No. 938
H.P. 694                                                      House of Representatives, March 8, 2021
           An Act To Ensure Maine Workers' Right To Request a Schedule
           Change at Their Places of Employment
   Reference to the Committee on Labor and Housing suggested and ordered printed.
                                                                                 ROBERT B. HUNT
                                                                                            Clerk
Presented by Representative WOOD of Portland.
                                      Printed on recycled paper
 1   Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
 2       Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §600-A is enacted to read:
 3   §600-A. Right to request change of schedule
 4       1. Right to request change of schedule. An employee has the right to request a
 5   temporary change, to last up to one year, to a previously agreed upon work schedule. The
 6   request must be made in writing and must describe the reason for the request.
 7        2. Employer response to request. An employer that receives a request to change an
 8   employee's schedule as described in subsection 1 shall respond to the request in writing
 9   within 7 days of receipt of the request. The employer is not required to grant the request
10   for a schedule change. If the employer denies the request, the employer shall include in the
11   written response a reason for denial of the request and offer an alternative to the request, if
12   an alternative is available.
13       3. Exception. The requirements of this section do not apply to an employer with 10
14   or fewer employees.
15       4. Enforcement. An employer that violates this section commits a civil violation for
16   which a fine of not less than $5,000 may be adjudged. The Department of Labor shall
17   enforce this section.
18                                          SUMMARY
19       This bill creates a right of an employee to request a change of schedule. The employer
20   is not required to grant the request but must describe in writing the reason for denial if the
21   request is denied. The employee's right to request a schedule change does not apply to
22   employers with 10 or fewer employees. A violation is a civil violation for which a fine of
23   not less than $5,000 may be adjudged.
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