Stay compliant in 2026 with the latest employment law changes for Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Learn about new minimum wage rates, leave entitlements, wage transparency rules, and more.
2026 Maine Compliance Update
The following changes to Maine employment law take effect on January 1, 2026, and apply to employers of all sizes unless otherwise noted.
Agriculture
Agricultural employees will now be entitled to the standard state minimum wage. Additionally, employers must provide agricultural employees with an itemized wage statement for each pay period and follow other recordkeeping requirements already in place for non-agricultural workers.
Minimum wage Increases
Statewide
The minimum wage in Maine will increase to $15.10 per hour. The minimum base wage for tipped employees will increase to $7.55 per hour. Additionally, the minimum amount a tipped employee needs to earn through tips alone in order for the employer to take a tip credit will increase to $191 per month.
The minimum salary for exempt executive, administrative, and professional employees will increase to $871.16 per week, or $45,300.32 per year.
Portland
The minimum wage in Portland will increase to $16.75 per hour. The minimum base wage for tipped employees will increase to $8.38 per hour.
Rockland
The minimum wage in Rockland for employers with 26 or more employees will increase to $16 per hour, and the minimum base wage for tipped employees will increase to $8 per hour. Smaller employers can pay the state minimum wage and tipped employee base wage.
2026 Massachusetts Compliance Update
The following changes to Massachusetts employment law take effect on January 1, 2026, and apply to employers of all sizes unless otherwise noted.
Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits
The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave announced that effective January 1, 2025, the maximum weekly benefit will be increasing from $1,149.90 to $1,170.64 per week. The total contribution amount will be .88% of eligible wages. For a breakdown of contribution rates see the Department’s Contributions Calculator. The Department has not yet released an updated poster. We will update our products when they become available.
Massachusetts Wage Transparency Bill Signed
Last month, Massachusetts Governor Healy signed Bill H.4890, implementing new wage transparency requirements, which take effect on different dates depending on employer size. Beginning February 1, 2025, employers with 100 or more employees in Massachusetts must provide annual wage data reports to the State Secretary. Beginning July 31, 2025, employers with 25 or more employees in Massachusetts must provide wage ranges to applicants on all job postings, to employees who are offered a new position, and to both applicants and employees upon request.
New Hampshire Compliance Update
The following changes to New Hampshire employment law take effect on January 1, 2026.
Leave for Childbirth and Postpartum Care
Employers with 20 or more employees will need to provide up to 25 hours of job-protected, unpaid leave to employees for certain baby-related medical appointments. Employees can use the leave for:
- Their own medical appointments for childbirth (the law doesn’t define “for childbirth,” but we assume this includes appointments to prepare for childbirth)
- Their own postpartum care
- Their child’s pediatric medical appointments within a year of their birth or adoption
If both parents work for the same employer, they can share the 25-hour entitlement for the child’s medical appointments. Employees can substitute accrued vacation or other paid leave for unpaid leave time under this law.
Action Item: Update your leave policies to reflect this new entitlement or, if you use our Smart Employee Handbook, accept the update if you haven’t done so already.
HB 2 was signed by the governor on June 27, 2025.
Protections for Military Spouses
Employers with 50 or more employees at the same location in New Hampshire will need to provide certain protections for military spouses. Specifically, the spouses of service members who have been called into action will be protected from employment discrimination and will have reemployment rights within certain timeframes.
Action Item: Update your policies as needed. If you use our Smart Employee Handbook, accept the update if you haven’t done so already.
HB 225 was signed by the governor on July 15, 2025.
As always, reach out to the team at KMA to ensure your business is in compliance and protected.