Thinking about Drug Testing? We Need Your Input!

MDOL is soliciting the input of Maine businesses and other organizations on the current statute governing employee-testing for alcohol and drug use in the workplace. Businesses interested in participating in the survey must contact the department to receive a survey invitation; invitations are limited to one per business or organization.

If interested, email Mark Dawson, mark.dawson@maine.gov. The online survey, which takes about 30 minutes to complete, asks questions about different provisions of the law and asks for suggestions for improvement. The survey will be available online through August 15, 2014.

SafetyWorks! can help you prevent work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths and reduce related costs.

Our services are free and confidential and we do not issue fines or citations.

We help keep workers safe and healthy. And we help businesses thrive, because you will save four to six dollars for every dollar you invest in safety. The old adage is true — it pays to be safe!

Upcoming Safety Training

Note: The Laws Governing Workplace Rights course is designed for employers.

Click for full schedule. All classes are in Augusta unless noted.

August

• 7: Health and Wellness
  
• 12: Lifting/Rigging Safety
  
• 13: Lockout/Tagout
  
• 14: Public Sector
  
• 14: OSHA Recordkeeping (Westbrook)
• 19: Life/Code 101 Safety
  
• 21: Noise/Hearing Safety
  

September

• 3,4: 10-Hour Construction Standards Training
  
• 9: Scaffolding and Fall Protection
  
• 11: Automotive Life/Jack Stand Safety and Compliance
  
• 12: Forklift Operator Training
  
• 15-19: 30-Hour Construction Standards
  
• 23: Public Sector Work Zone Safety
  
• 25,26: 10-Hour General Industry Standards Training
  
• 26: OSHA Recordkeeping (Bangor)

Hiring? Job Fairs!

August 25: Job Fair at the Augusta CareerCenter

Sept. 29: Job Fair at the Augusta CareerCenter

Oct. 27: Job Fair at the Augusta CareerCenter 

Nov. 12: Veteran Job Fair at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Brunswick, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Nov. 24: Job Fair at the Augusta CareerCenter

More are being planned for this fall all over the state. Contact your local CareerCenter for more information.

Employer Services

Hiring Assistance

Maine Apprenticeship Program

Maine’s Job Bank

Work Experience for ASPIRE Participants

Find a CareerCenter near you...

• Augusta
• Bangor
• Brunswick
• Calais
• Lewiston
• Machias
• Portland
• Presque Isle
• Rockland
• Skowhegan
• Springvale
• Wilton

Save the Date: HR Day, Oct. 2

Save the Date for the next HR Day on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Department of Labor in Augusta. This follow-up to the HR Day that we provided in June 2012 will include presentations on relevant HR topics delivered by subject matter experts within the department. Stay tuned for further details!

For more information, or to provide feedback on topics that would interest you, please contact Susan Wasserott at  621-5096 or Susan.Wasserott@maine.gov. 

Seasonal Employers: Count the Days!

Seasonal businesses must check their opening and closing weeks carefully to maintain their seasonal qualification for unemployment insurance.

If a business schedules the closing date too late, it could end up being open more than 26 weeks. If a qualified seasonal employer is open four days in the first week of opening or in the last week of the season, those weeks are each counted as a full week and part of the 26 seasonal weeks. 

Determine weeks for seasonal operation for non-predetermined industries using the following rule:

Count any week when the businesses opened four days or more. 

If the opening day is:

• Sunday, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday—it counts as a week (four or more days).
• Thursday, Friday, Saturday— it does not count as a week (three or fewer days).

If the closing day is:

• Sunday, Monday, Tuesday—it does not count as a week (three or fewer days).
• Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday—it counts as a week (four or more days).

Remember, Seasonal businesses are required to file Quarterly Wage Reports each quarter, regardless of whether the business is in operation. A penalty will be assessed to the unemployment insurance accounts of employers who do not file each quarter. Seasonal businesses should file reports indicating zero wages for quarters in which they have no activity.

Are You Paying the Going Rate for Certain Occupations?

The latest release of occupational wage rates occurred April 1, 2014 with the posting of the May 2013 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. Wage data  for Maine; the metropolitan areas of Bangor, Lewiston-Auburn, Portland-South Portland-Biddeford; each of Maine’s 16 counties; and two balance-of-state non-metropolitan areas are available for hundreds of occupations on the CWRI website.  

Disability Mentoring Day

Each year, the Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) program connects nearly 16,500 students and job seekers with disabilities to thousands of employers nation-wide.

In Maine, job shadowing activities have been planned to date at Bates College (August 8) and Bank of America (August 29). There will also be a large celebration for job seekers and employers on the official day, the third Wednesday in October. Details to be determined.

To participate in Disability Mentoring Day, sign-up here. 

From the Commissioner

Jeanne Paquette, Commissioner of Labor

Seeing the Signs of an Improved Economy

We are seeing signs that our economy is improving, and we hope that you are seeing and benefiting from it. Unemployment claims are down, the number of jobs on the Job Bank are up, and employers are increasingly telling us that they are having a hard time finding workers with the right skills.

If you are looking for workers or looking to train new or incumbent workers, please do not hesitate to contact the department.  In addition to our hiring assistance services through the Job Bank, our CareerCenters, and several job fairs this fall, we also have important initiatives pending that may help your business or industry.

The Department of Labor received two significant grants from the federal government in July. The first, a Workforce Investment Act Incentive Grant of $819,433, was earned by the state's workforce development system and adult education partners all meeting performance goals. Only eight states earned such a grant. Maine last qualified for an incentive grant 12 years ago.

The state will use the grant to fund industry partnership activities and adult literacy improvements. This fall we will share more about how these funds will be distributed.

The second grant is a $4.85 million job training grant. This grant will build and expand upon successful industry partnerships and establish a customized approach to training, with the goal of reconnecting the long-term unemployed to work. 

This will be important catalyst for Maine’s economy. As Governor Paul R. LePage stated, “Maine’s status as the ‘oldest state’ presents a significant challenge in meeting both short- and long-term workforce needs. We don’t have enough younger workers to replace retiring baby boomers.”

The Governor added, “We need to ensure that people who have lost jobs or who want to work are retrained and provided with the skills and certifications that employers in growing industries demand. This grant will target people who need to rejoin the workforce, helping businesses meet their needs for employees and grow our economy.”

Please contact your local CareerCenter if your industry or business is interested in learning more about participating in these industry partnerships and training initiatives.  

Have a wonderful summer.

DOL Proposes Changes to Rules Covering Onsite Job Training of Minors

MDOL is calling for public comment on proposed changes to rules surrounding job-training programs for minors. The public hearing will be held on Friday, August 22, 2014, 10 a.m. to noon, in the SafetyWorks! conference room in Augusta. 

The purpose of the proposed change is to allow students enrolled in approved Career and Technical Educational programs  (CTE) to train on specific equipment, located at a business, that is necessary for their course of study. Businesses hosting the training will have to comply with a number of conditions under the proposed rules. For more information, visit http://www.maine.gov/labor/news_events/article.shtml?id=624970 .

The rules are available at: http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/attach.php?id=624970&an=1.