Maine Wage & Hour Claim Calculator

Both the federal FLSA and Maine wage law protect workers' pay, and employees get the benefit of whichever sets the higher standard. Typical Maine wage cases involve unpaid overtime, employee misclassification, unpaid final wages, illegal deductions, or missed meal and rest breaks.

A powerful feature of wage law is that it often doubles the recovery: under the FLSA, unpaid wages can be awarded together with an equal amount in liquidated damages, and many states add their own penalties for willful violations. Prevailing employees are also typically entitled to attorney fees, so a Maine wage claim can be worth substantially more than the raw unpaid wages alone.

The FLSA generally allows 2 years to recover back wages, extended to 3 years for willful violations. Maine's own wage statute of limitations is about 6 years, longer than the national average of 3.6 years, and the longer applicable period usually controls — so the sooner you act, the more back pay you can recover.

You can pursue unpaid wages in Maine even while still employed — retaliation for asserting wage rights is illegal under both federal and state law. Claims can go through your state labor agency, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, or a private attorney, and many wage cases proceed as collective or class actions when one policy affected multiple workers.

Breaks at work in Maine, as recorded on a review of official state sources completed 2026-09-15. Meal break: required for adult workers, at least 30 minutes, unpaid; when: more than 6 consecutive hours. Meal break exceptions: Collective bargaining or other written agreement; emergencies; workplaces with fewer than 3 employees on duty where work allows frequent short paid breaks. Rest break: no state requirement for adult workers. Under federal law, short breaks an employer does give, of about 5 to 20 minutes, count as paid work time. If a required break is not given: none (civil forfeiture of $100 to $500 per violation payable to the state).

Final paychecks in Maine. If you are fired: no later than the next established payday. If you quit: no later than the next established payday. Unused vacation: earned, unused vacation must be paid out when employment ends. If the final paycheck is late: unpaid wages plus interest, costs, attorney's fees, and liquidated damages of twice the unpaid wages; state fine $100 to $500 per violation. A break that was never given or a final paycheck that arrives late can be part of a wage claim, and the break and final paycheck guide in the related reading below compares every state.