• Question: Who is eligible for this benefit?
• Answer: Staff members who do not qualify for benefits are eligible for MEPL. Student workers are not eligible.
• Question: Are benefit eligible staff members eligible for MEPL?
• Answer: Benefit eligible staff members earn other leave time that meet the requirements of the Maine Earned Paid Leave Law. Therefore, additional time is not earned.
• Question: Do all Bates employees earn MEPL?
• Answer: The new MEPL leave time applies only to non-benefit eligible employees. Benefit eligible staff members at Bates already earn at least enough paid time off that meet the criteria set out in the Maine Earned Paid Leave Law. For benefit eligible employees, your leave time accruals will not change.
• Question: How much MEPL do I earn?
• Answer: Non-benefit eligible staff members eligible for MEPL earn 1 hour of MEPL for every forty (40) hours reported on timesheets.
• Question: What is the maximum amount of MEPL time that I can accumulate?
• Answer: MEPL eligible employees earn up to a maximum balance of 40 hours.
• Question: What can MEPL be used for?
• Answer: MEPL can be used for any purpose such as emergency, illness, sudden necessity or planned time off.
• Question: When can I start using my Maine Earned Paid Leave?
• Answer: An employee who has been employed by Bates for at least 120 days before the law goes into effect on January 1, 2021, may use their leave as soon as it is earned. Employees hired subsequently will be eligible to use Maine Earned Paid Leave time 120 days after their start date.
• Question: How much advance notice do I need to give in order to use MEPL?
• Answer: Other than leave for an emergency, illness, or sudden necessity, reasonable notice must be provided. More than four weeks of notice is not required.
• Question: What is the minimum amount of MEPL time I can request?
• Answer: Bates allows the reporting of MEPL time in fifteen minute increments.
• Question: How do I report MEPL?
• Answer: Timesheets now have a new earn code “MEL” to record MEPL.
• Question: Does Bates always have to grant me the time off when I request it?
• Answer: No. Departments may require up to 4 weeks’ notice for use of leave other than an emergency, illness, or other sudden necessity and can restrict dates that such time off may be granted. For instance, Bates might restrict or not allow leave (other than leave for an emergency, illness, or other sudden necessity) during busy academic times of the year or for other business reasons.
• Question: Can I be disciplined for using MEPL?
• Answer: No. However, Bates’ attendance guidelines are still in place and poor attendance will be addressed when necessary.
• Question: Can Bates limit time off requests to avoid multiple people using leave at the same time?
• Answer: Yes, other than leave for an emergency, illness, or sudden necessity, departments may establish scheduling guidelines to avoid situations where multiple absences impact the college’s business and educational needs. Please check with your supervisor for specific departmental requirements.
• Question: Can I carry over MEPL from year to year?
• Answer: Yes. Up to 40 hours of MEPL can be carried over from one year to the next however employees cannot have a MEPL balance greater than 40 hours so carryovers will impact the subsequent year’s accrual.
• Question:  If I carryover 40 hours of MEPL from one year to another will I begin accruing additional MEPL in the next year?
• Answer:  No.  The maximum balance at any point in time is 40 hours of MEPL.
• Question: What determines the one year carry over period for MEPL?
• Answer: The calendar year is the year period for determining the accrual, usage and carryover.
• Question: Can I request MEPL to receive extra pay beyond my regular schedule?
• Answer: No. MEPL can only be used to cover for regular work time missed and not as additional income over and above regularly scheduled work hours for a given week.
• Question: If I leave Bates, can I apply unused MEPL at the end of my employment?
• Answer: MEPL cannot be used in lieu of performing work during an employee’s notice period prior to termination, unless there is a documented medical need.  MEPL cannot be use after an employee’s last day physically worked.
• Question: How do I report MEPL?
• Answer: Hourly employees report MEPL on their bi-weekly time report. Salaried employees, report MEPL on their Monthly Leave Report.
• Question: What happens if I leave Bates with an unused balance of MEPL?
• Answer: Unused earned MEPL is not payable at termination.
• Question: What happens to MEPL if I leave Bates but come back within a year?
• Answer: If a MEPL eligible employee returns to work at Bates within one (1) year of ending their employment with Bates, the previous MEPL balance will be reinstated.
• Question: I am an hourly employee, does MEPL count as hours worked for determining overtime?
• Answer: No. Like other leaves at Bates, MEPL time used is not regarded as hours worked for the determination of overtime.
• Question: I am a benefit eligible staff member. Why don’t I get MEPL?
• Answer: The Maine Earned Paid Leave Law requires employers with 10 or more employees to offer forty (40) hours of leave time to be used for any reason. Benefit Eligible Staff Members  already earn more qualifying time off than what is required under the Maine Earned Paid Leave Law.
• Question: What if I have questions about MEPL?
• Answer: Please direct questions to your supervisor or to Human Resources at hrdept@bates.edu.

These FAQs are for guidance purposes and not intended to fully outline the Bates MEPL policy or for application of the law.