Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §625, as amended by PL 1975, c. 512, §§1 and 2, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

§625.__Notice of intention to quit or terminate employment

1.__Notice of intention to quit employment.__An employee shall provide an employer with at least a 2-week notice of the employee's intention to quit employment with that employer.__ Failure to comply with this subsection is punishable by a forfeiture by the employee of one week's wages.__This forfeiture may not be enforced if the leaving is for reasonable cause.

2.__Notice of intention to terminate employment.__An employer shall provide an employee with at least a 2-week notice of intention to terminate the employment of the employee.__Failure to comply with this subsection is punishable by a forfeiture by the employer of 2 weeks' wages to the employee.__This forfeiture may not be enforced if the discharge of the employee is for reasonable cause.

3.__Effect of contract; damages.__Notwithstanding subsections 1 and 2, if employment is subject to a contract or written agreement that requires a longer notice period, the provisions of the contract govern.__This section does not prevent either party from recovering damages for a breach of contract to hire.

For purposes of this section, "employer" includes the State and the Legislature.

SUMMARY

Current law allows an employer and employee in a manufacturing or mechanical business to contract to give each other one week's notice of intention to quit or terminate employment.

This bill requires all employees to give 2 weeks' notice prior to quitting and employers, including the State and the Legislature, to give 2 weeks' notice prior to terminating an employee. An employee who quits in violation of this requirement without reasonable cause is subject to a forfeiture of one week's pay. An employer who fails to provide 2 weeks' notice without reasonable cause is required to provide the employee with 2 weeks' pay.