Don’t Forget: New Laws Taking Effect in Maine in 2023

Happy New Year. How about a pay raise?

For those working at minimum wage, Maine is one of 27 states that has increased the hourly minimum wage for 2023

As of Sunday, the hourly minimum wage is now $13.80, up from $12.75. The new tip wage for service employees is half, now at $6.90 per hour for those who receive tips. The employer must be able to show that the employee receives at least the minimum wage of $13.80 per hour when the direct wage and tips are combined at the end of the week.

Also affected is overtime pay. The minimum salary is $796.17 per week or $41,401 per year. An individual can earn more than the minimum salary threshold and still be eligible for overtime.

Here is a link for minimum wage and overtime law.

The minimum wage and overtime law can be found here.

Maine is closer to the top than the bottom of the list of minimum wages paid in America. Washington state is the highest at $15.74, while Montana has the lowest rate in the country at $9.95 per hour.

The Maine Department of Labor also has made a change in how vacation or personal time off is taken care of when you leave a job.

New Maine vacation pay law has changed. Employers with 11 or more workers must pay out all unused, accrued vacation days to workers who are terminating their employment or being terminated.

Here is the link for the info from the Maine Department of Labor.

The time now for a new law from South Korea

South Koreans will become one or two years younger this year when they start counting ages as all other countries do. Currently, a baby there is one year old when they are born, and a year is added every January 1^st, regardless of their actual birthday.

It is like a Mainer joking about being 39. Again.  Except in reverse.

So if you were born last Saturday in South Korea you would be considered to be 1 year old.  Then on Sunday, they’d turn 2 because it was January 1^st. (Even though you were born 2 days earlier)

If one was born in South Korea yesterday you’d automatically be considered to be 1. And not reach 2 until January 2024.  Crazy, right?

But it’ll be no more this year as that country will adopt the ‘international age’, as we use.  You are zero when born, and a year is added every year on your birthday.

However, that change won’t go into effect until June of 2023.

So depending on what month one was born in, their actual age will reduce by one if they haven’t had their birthday yet, or two if they have had a birthday this year.

Follow that?

And if you want to be one or two years younger here…tell a white lie.