Maine maternity leave and paid family leave
How paid leave works in Maine when you have a baby: weeks for pregnancy and bonding, how much it pays in 2026, whether your job is protected, and how to apply.
Checked October 2026 · 18 sources
Short answer
12 wk
of paid leave to bond with your baby
Maine Department of Labor
$1,249
the most it pays per week in 2026, a ceiling, not a typical benefit
Maine Department of Labor
Apply for paid leave
Claims go to Maine Department of Labor. Tell your employer early.
The rules in Maine
YesMaine Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)
| Legal maximum, your own health | 12 weeks |
|---|---|
| Bonding with your baby | Up to 12 weeks |
| Medical and family leave combined | Up to 12 weeks a year |
| Pay | 90% of your average weekly wage up to half the state average weekly wage, plus 66% of wages above that, capped at the state average weekly wage: $1,249.12/week from July 1, 2026 (Maine DOL rounds it to $1,250); $1,198.84 for May-June 2026. |
| 2026 weekly maximum | $1,249 (a ceiling, not a typical benefit) |
| Waiting period | 7 calendar days for medical leave, once per benefit year (you can use PTO during it); none for bonding and other family leave |
| Job protection | Yes, in the PFML law: if you've worked for your employer at least 120 consecutive days, you must be restored to your job or an equivalent one with equivalent pay, benefits and conditions. Under 120 days, your employer may restore you but doesn't have to. Retaliation is banned for everyone. PFML runs at the same time as federal FMLA and Maine family medical leave when they apply. |
| Who qualifies | You must have earned at least 6 times the state average weekly wage (about $7,190 at the 2025-26 rate, about $7,495 at the July 2026 rate) in Maine during your base period, the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters. Covers almost everyone employed in Maine, whatever the employer's size. Self-employed people can opt in. Federal employees aren't covered, and Tribal government employees aren't unless the Tribe opts in. |
| Paying since | May 1, 2026 |
Checked October 2026. Benefit amounts usually change January 1 and July 1, so confirm with Maine Department of Labor before you plan. Job protection often comes from a different law than the pay; the job protection row says which.
Benefits began May 1, 2026 (premiums since Jan. 1, 2025). The state plan is administered by Aflac (apply online or by phone); employers may use an approved private plan instead. Weekly max changed mid-2026. It equals the state average weekly wage: $1,198.84 for July 2025 to June 2026 and $1,249.12 from July 1, 2026. MDOL's June 2026 benefit chart caps benefits at 'the current average of $1,250.00 (rounded)'. MDOL doesn't say whether claims that began before July 1 get the higher cap, and 26 M.R.S. 850-C(3) also lets the department adjust the max each Jan. 1 for fund solvency. Leave cap: 12 weeks total of family + medical leave per benefit year, so pregnancy medical leave and bonding share the same 12 weeks. The law lets medical leave for pregnancy or childbirth recovery be followed right away by bonding leave, and the rule says the combined total still can't exceed 12 weeks. FMLA or Maine FMLA leave you took in the prior 12 months that didn't run at the same time reduces your PFML weeks (leave taken before May 1, 2026 doesn't count). Bonding must be within 12 months of birth. Apply up to 60 days before and no later than 90 days after leave starts, and give your employer written notice (30 days is reasonable when foreseeable). Your employer can ask to reschedule leave for 'undue hardship' within 10 business days, and you can appeal.
Sources: Maine Department of Labor; Maine Workers' Compensation Board; Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes; National Partnership for Women & Families. Data as of October 2026.
Questions about maternity leave in Maine
How long is maternity leave in Maine?
Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) pays up to 12 weeks to bond with your baby. The legal maximum for your own health condition is 12 weeks, and medical and family leave together are capped at 12 weeks a year.
How much does Maine paid family leave pay?
90% of your average weekly wage up to half the state average weekly wage, plus 66% of wages above that, capped at the state average weekly wage: $1,249.12/week from July 1, 2026 (Maine DOL rounds it to $1,250); $1,198.84 for May-June 2026. The weekly maximum in 2026 is $1,249, a ceiling rather than a typical benefit.
Is my job protected while I'm on leave in Maine?
Yes, in the PFML law: if you've worked for your employer at least 120 consecutive days, you must be restored to your job or an equivalent one with equivalent pay, benefits and conditions. Under 120 days, your employer may restore you but doesn't have to. Retaliation is banned for everyone. PFML runs at the same time as federal FMLA and Maine family medical leave when they apply.
Who qualifies in Maine?
You must have earned at least 6 times the state average weekly wage (about $7,190 at the 2025-26 rate, about $7,495 at the July 2026 rate) in Maine during your base period, the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters. Covers almost everyone employed in Maine, whatever the employer's size. Self-employed people can opt in. Federal employees aren't covered, and Tribal government employees aren't unless the Tribe opts in.
How does it work with FMLA?
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives eligible workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for a birth and to care for the newborn, or for their own serious health condition, including pregnancy complications and recovery from childbirth. Health coverage continues during leave, and you return to the same or an equivalent job.
Sources
- 1.MDOL: PFML For Workers and their Families page Maine Department of Labor. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 2.Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Frequently Asked Questions for Employees (July 2026) Maine Department of Labor. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 3.Estimated PFML Premium and Benefit Amounts Based on Earnings Maine Department of Labor. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 4.Maine PFML: What Employees Need to Know Before May 2026 (webinar slides, March 2026) Maine Department of Labor. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 5.Maine PFML Worker Protections Maine Department of Labor. Accessed October 9, 2026.
Show all 18 sourcesShow fewer sources
- 6.12-702 CMR Ch. 1 PFML final rule (markup) Maine Department of Labor. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 7.State Average Weekly Wage Notice (effective July 1, 2026) Maine Workers' Compensation Board. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 8.26 M.R.S. 850-B Paid family and medical leave benefits program established Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 9.26 M.R.S. 850-C Payment of benefits Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 10.26 M.R.S. 850-J Employer requirements; return to work from family or medical leave Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 11.State Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance Laws (chart, April 2026) National Partnership for Women & Families. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 12.State paid family and medical leave contributions and benefits (Feb. 6, 2026) Mercer Law & Policy Group. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 13.29 CFR 825.100 The Family and Medical Leave Act Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 14.29 CFR 825.104 Covered employer Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 15.29 CFR 825.110 Eligible employee Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 16.29 CFR 825.200 Amount of leave Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 17.29 CFR 825.214 Employee right to reinstatement Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 18.Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) U.S. Department of Labor. Accessed October 9, 2026.