An Act to Codify and Update a Provision of Private and Special Law Governing Temporary Disability for State Employees

Disability pay and limits for Maine employees

The law updates temporary disability pay for covered Maine executive-branch confidential employees, including probationary employees. Employees qualify after more than 6 months in a covered position. A sickness or accidental injury must cause missed work and prevent them from doing their job. They must also be unable to do any paid work suited to their training, education, and experience. They must remain under a licensed doctor's care, and the disability cannot be covered by workers' compensation. Weekly pay equals two-thirds of their weekly salary when total disability began, minus any state retirement allowance. Their regular employment benefits from immediately before the disability continue while they receive disability pay. Payments start the day after sick leave runs out or the 30th day of continuous total disability, whichever is later. Continuous leave excludes intermittent leave and reduced work schedules. Employees have a hard limit of 365 paid benefit days across their entire tenure as confidential employees, including breaks in service. Unused days remain available for later periods of continuous total disability. Payments end at the earliest of three dates: the day before returning to any paid work, the day after exhausting the remaining benefit days, or the first day of eligibility for a disability retirement allowance. The law places these rules in Maine's general statutes and repeals the older provision governing this benefit.