In 2023, Maine joined the growing number of states to require employers to provide employees with paid family leave.

Beginning on January 1, 2025, Maine employers will be required to begin funding the program that will ultimately take effect in 2026.

Understanding the program and how the proposed rules, issued by the Maine Department of Labor effect the application of Maine’s FMLA program is paramount for Maine organizations as they look to the future to determine how to financially and operationally comply with the state obligations.

In this episode of HR Power Hour join Tawny Alvarez, Verrill, and Peter Gore from Maine Street Solutions as they discuss the details of the proposed rules and help employers understand what these changes mean for Maine’s workforce and how they interact with existing statutory obligations.

About The Guest:

Peter Gore Bio: Peter joined Maine Street Solutions as Senior Government Relations Specialist in December 2022. Prior to joining Maine Street, Peter spent 28 years at the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, initially as a Senior Governmental Affairs Specialist, and then in 2008 he was named the Executive Vice President for Advocacy and Government Relations. In his role, Gore represented more than 5,000 business members before the Maine Legislature, the Office of the Governor, and the public in the specific areas of workers’ compensation law, labor/management issues, and healthcare/health insurance and economic development topics.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Gore was the Director of the Office of Public and Legislative Affairs at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.

Gore received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine. He resides in Brunswick with his wife.

Tawny Alvarez Bio: Tawny prides herself on helping clients comply with the law while simultaneously creating an amazing place to work.

She centers her practice on the understanding that the employment landscape is ever-changing and organizations do not have the time or resources to keep abreast of all these changes including: how AI affects hiring and the employment relationship, pay transparency laws and the effect on equal pay and pay practices more generally; diversity, equity, and inclusion program and maintaining a diverse work environment within the confines of Title VII and state and federal anti-discrimination laws; bias at work, including its effect on the decision-making; and remote work policies and effectively managing remote workers. In this evolving landscape, Tawny recognizes that for companies to remain profitable and successful they must be proactive, not merely reactive, to these issues.

As many of these issues are swiftly evolving, Tawny prides herself on keeping current on these developments in the workplace and is skilled at crafting cost-effective solutions for adapting to them. She sensibly recognizes that one-size representation does not fit all, and focuses her practice on providing creative, cost-effective, and individualized labor and employment counseling and representation to clients while maintaining the culture that they have worked so hard to construct.

Pressure is something that we all experience both at work and at home. Getting to a point where you are not only able to appropriately manage pressure, but also to embrace it, is key to high performing in your personal and professional life.

In this episode of HR Power Hour, join host Tawny Alvarez as she talks with James Cluskey, former professional tennis player turned executive coach and founder of Give Learn as they discuss the necessity of community in embracing pressure and how to view performance to help you become a high performer.

About The Guest:

James Cluskey is a former professional tennis player turned entrepreneur and private tennis coach to Sir Richard Branson. He represented Ireland in the Davis Cup from 2006-2015 and won 15 professional titles, with a career-high ranking of 145 in the world. In 2018, James and three others broke the Guinness World Record for the longest doubles tennis match, playing continuously for over 60 hours.

Since retiring from professional tennis, James has carried passion for high performance and is the founder of Give Learn, an e-learning company that offers both LIVE and on-demand classes with global experts around soft skills. Give Learn links learning to social good and allows users to earn points to donate to different social causes. James believes in connecting people to develop their life and career.

He is a passionate advocate of human interaction, whether in person or remotely. James authored the book “Advantage: Lessons In Sport And Business To Achieve Your Goals.”