Signed by Governor Janet Mills

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits wage theft and establishes employer accountability standards.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the Department of Labor or any individual or individuals injured by an unlawful wage payment practice or policy that causes direct harm to workers, to bring an action for injunctive relief to prohibit further wage theft (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that if an employer is found guilty in regards to the preceding highlight, the employer is liable to pay the cost of suit, including a reasonable attorney’s fee (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner’s designee to order an employer to stop business operations if the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee determines that (Sec. 1):

• The employer has engaged in wage theft;

• The employer’s practice or policy has resulted in wage theft on more than one occasion or within the last 12 months; and

• The practice or policy that resulted in wage theft affects ten or more employees, or the wage theft is equivalent to or greater than twice an employee’s average weekly wage.

• Requires the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee to provide the guilty employer with notice and an opportunity to be heard three business days before the effective date of an order issued, in regards to the preceding highlights (Sec. 1).

• Establishes that any individual severely affected by a cease operations order has ten days from the date of its service to make a request to the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee for a hearing (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner’s designee to stay an issuance of a cease operations order if the employer has evidence showing that they have paid the employee or employees for the amount of unpaid wages and benefits owed, and has improved wage payment practices and policies in compliance with this act (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits wage theft and establishes employer accountability standards.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the Department of Labor or any individual or individuals injured by an unlawful wage payment practice or policy that causes direct harm to workers, to bring an action for injunctive relief to prohibit further wage theft (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that if an employer is found guilty in regards to the preceding highlight, the employer is liable to pay the cost of suit, including a reasonable attorney’s fee (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner’s designee to order an employer to stop business operations if the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee determines that (Sec. 1):

• The employer has engaged in wage theft;

• The employer’s practice or policy has resulted in wage theft on more than one occasion or within the last 12 months; and

• The practice or policy that resulted in wage theft affects ten or more employees, or the wage theft is equivalent to or greater than twice an employee’s average weekly wage.

• Requires the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee to provide the guilty employer with notice and an opportunity to be heard three business days before the effective date of an order issued, in regards to the preceding highlights (Sec. 1).

• Establishes that any individual severely affected by a cease operations order has ten days from the date of its service to make a request to the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee for a hearing (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner’s designee to stay an issuance of a cease operations order if the employer has evidence showing that they have paid the employee or employees for the amount of unpaid wages and benefits owed, and has improved wage payment practices and policies in compliance with this act (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text