Maine
by Michael Mahoney, Esq.
In the special session of the 120th Maine Legislature, commencing January 2, 2002, workplace issues are again at the forefront.  Some of the bills to be considered include:
„h L.D. 536, An Act to Define and Revise Non-Compete Employment Contracts, which proposes to enact standards for employment contracts and provide ¡§reasonable standards¡¨ for their use.

„h L.D. 1594, An Act to Provide Disclosure and Financial Protections to Temporary Workers, which seeks to regulate practices of temporary service companies by, among other things, mandating that temporary workers who have worked for a client employer for 90 days or more be provided with the same compensation and benefits provided to permanent workers.

„h L.D. 1258, An Act to Make the Unemployment Insurance Programs More Responsive to the Needs of Maine Workers, which proposes to provide unemployment insurance coverage to part-time workers and to remove several disqualifications from coverage presently in Maine law.
„h L.D. 2852, An Act to Amend the Law Regarding Severance Pay, which proposes to alter the present standards governing the issuance of severance pay to Maine workers.