Maine Addendum
In the event of a conflict between the Handbook and any provision of an applicable Addendum, the conflict will be resolved as follows:
- If a benefit provided by the University is more generous than the benefit provided in the applicable Addendum, the University will offer the employee the more generous benefit unless such benefit is limited by statute (e.g., to residents of or employees working in Colorado).
- If a University policy or procedure provides an employee with more protection than that provided under the applicable Addendum, the University’s more protective policy or procedure will apply to internal University processes, and the policy or procedure specified in the applicable Addendum will apply to external proceedings in the applicable state or local agency.
For example, if the University’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy includes more protected statuses than a particular state provides, the University’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy and the applicable procedures established by the Office of Equal Opportunity & Title IX (EOIX) will apply to a report or complaint filed with EOIX. For a complaint filed with the state or local civil rights agency, the protections afforded under the state Addendum will apply.
Employees with questions about the Handbook or any applicable Addendum should contact their HR Partner at AskHRPartners@du.edu.
Maine
Crime Victim Leave
Maine employees who are victims of or whose children, parents, or spouses are victims of violence, assault, sexual assaults, or stalking may take unpaid time off to:
- Prepare for and attend court proceedings;
- Receive medical treatment or attend to medical treatment for a victim who is the employee’s daughter, son, parent, or spouse; or
- Obtain necessary services to remedy a crisis caused by domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
Employees must provide the University of Denver reasonable advance notice of the need to take time off under this policy, if practicable. If advance notice is not practical, employees must provide notice as soon as practical. The University may request reasonable documentation of the family relationship, which may include a statement from the employee, a birth certificate, a court document, or similar documents.
The University of Denver will not discipline or discriminate against employees (in terms of loss of pay, job security, or benefits) for taking leave in compliance with this policy.
Domestic Violence Leave
Maine employees who are victims of or whose children, parents, or spouses are victims of violence, assault, sexual assaults or stalking may take unpaid time off to:
- Prepare for and attend court proceedings;
- Receive medical treatment or attend to medical treatment for a victim who is the employee’s daughter, son, parent or spouse; or
- Obtain necessary services to remedy a crisis caused by domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.
Employees must provide the University of Denver reasonable advance notice of the need to take time off under this policy, if practicable. If advance notice is not practical, employees must provide notice as soon as practical. The University may request reasonable documentation of the family relationship, which may include a statement from the employee, a birth certificate, a court document, or similar documents.
The University of Denver will not discipline or discriminate against employees (in terms of loss of pay, job security, or benefits) for taking leave in compliance with this policy.
Equal Employment and Anti-Discrimination Policy
This is only an excerpt of the University of Denver’s Non-Discrimination Statement and Discrimination and Harassment policy with state specific information included in italics. Please refer to the complete policy for further information.
The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions based on merit and University needs. Creating an inclusive and professional environment where employees feel comfortable, safe, and free from inappropriate and disrespectful conduct is one of the University’s core values.
The University of Denver does not discriminate against (in any aspect of employment, including recruiting and hiring, job assignment, compensation, opportunities for advancement, promotion, transfers, evaluation, benefits, training, discipline, and termination), nor does it tolerate harassment by any person, including, co-workers, supervisors, and third parties, on the basis of the following Protected Characteristics: In Maine: race or color (including traits associated with race, such as hair texture, Afro hairstyles, and protective hairstyles), sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry or national origin, previous assertion of a claim or right under the workers’ compensation law
Information about the Maine Human Rights Commission can be found at https://www.maine.gov/mhrc/ or by calling ((207) 624-6290 or 711 (TTY/TTD).
Jury Duty Leave
The University of Denver encourages all employees to report for jury duty and provides employees in Maine with unpaid time off to respond to a summons for jury service, serve as a juror, or attend court for prospective jury service. While leave to serve on a jury is unpaid, exempt salaried employees will not have their pay reduced for any week in which they work and also miss time for jury duty.
Employees must notify the University of Denver they have been called for jury duty as soon as possible after receiving a notice or summons. The University of Denver may request reasonable documentation of jury duty service to the extent permitted by law. The University of Denver will not discharge, discipline, retaliate against, coerce, or otherwise penalize employees who are absent to attend judicial proceedings in response to a summons for jury duty.
Employees may use available vacation during otherwise unpaid time off taken under this policy.
Meal and Rest Breaks
Non-exempt Maine employees who work at least six hours in their workday are entitled and expected to take an unpaid, off-duty, 30-minute rest break unless there are fewer than three employees on duty at any one time or operations allow employees to take shorter paid breaks throughout the workday. Employees may waive their rest break in writing.
Employees will be relieved of all duties for the full 30-minute rest break. Failure to take full rest breaks is a violation of University of Denver policy, which may subject employees to disciplinary action, possibly including termination of employment.
Military Service Leave
This is only an excerpt of the University of Denver’s Leave of Absence policy with state specific information included in italics. Please refer to the complete policy for further information.
Employees may take leave under the FMLA or applicable law.
- Maine employees who are the spouse, domestic partner, or parent of Maine resident and is deployed for military service for a period lasting longer than 180 days, may be eligible for up to 15 days of family military leave. To be eligible, an employee must have worked for the University of Denver for at least 12 months and have worked for at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period immediately preceding the commencement of the employee's family military leave.
Maine Paid Leave
Employees accrue paid leave at a rate of one hour for every 40 hours worked, up to a total of 40 hours per year. Employees may use up to 40 hours per year of paid leave for any reason.
Employees are entitled to use accrued paid leave beginning on the 120th day of employment, after which they may use paid leave days as it is accrued. Employees may carry over up to 40 hours of earned sick leave year-to-year. Employees may take paid leave in increments of no less than one hour.
If the need for paid leave is foreseeable, employees must provide four weeks’ advance notice to the University and make a reasonable effort to schedule the use of leave in a manner that does not unduly disrupt the operations of the University of Denver. If the need for paid leave is unforeseeable, employees must provide notice as soon as practicable.
Leave will not accrue during any leave of absence. The University of Denver may prohibit employees from using leave during any shut down period, except as prohibited by law. Any unused paid leave will not be paid upon termination of employment. If employees separate from the University of Denver and are rehired within one year from their date of separation, their earned but unused paid leave that they had at the time of separation will be reinstated.
Abuse of the Organization’s paid leave policy is dishonest and may lead to termination of employment. Employees will not be required to find their replacements for time they take off pursuant to this policy. The University of Denver will not retaliate against an employee for the employee’s use of, or attempt to use, paid leave. In addition, an employee will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint alleging violations of paid leave laws, for cooperating in an investigation or prosecution of an alleged violation of paid leave laws, or opposing any policy, practice, or act prohibited by any applicable paid leave laws.
Sexual Harassment Policy
Definition of Sexual Harassment
Retaliation is unlawful under federal, state, and local law (where applicable). Those laws generally protect any person who has engaged in a protected activity such as:
Exercising or seeking to exercise any of the civil rights declared by the Maine Humans Right Act;
Maine employees can contact the Maine Human Rights Commission to file a complaint. The office is located at 51 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04330. The Commission can be contacted by phone at (207) 624-6290, by fax at (207) 624-8729, or by email at info@mhrc.maine.gov. Visit maine.gov/mhrc/file to file a complaint.
Maine Training
All employees will receive sexual harassment training within one year of hire or within one year of starting a supervisory or management role.
Emergency Responder Leave
Maine employees who are municipal or volunteer firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, or members of a nonprofit search and rescue organization recognized by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Bureau of Warden Service may take unpaid time off to respond to an emergency in their capacity as a firefighter, emergency medical services, or volunteer search and rescue person, including responding to, working at the scene of or returning from a fire call, a hazardous or toxic materials spill and cleanup or any other situation to which the fire department has been dispatched. The employee must report for work as soon as reasonably possible after being released from the emergency. Employees must notify the University of Denver within 30 days of employment of their status as a firefighter, emergency medical services, or volunteer search and rescue person and notify the University of Denver of any change to their status, including the termination of such status, within 30 days of the change. Upon receiving notice of an employee’s status, University of Denver may designate the employee as essential to its operations when the absence of the employee would disrupt the Organization’s business.
Employees must provide the University of Denver reasonable advance notice of the need for leave under this policy. Notification may be provided by the employee, their designee, or the fire department, emergency medical services, or search and rescue operation provider. The University of Denver may request reasonable documentation reflecting the need for such leave, including a statement from the chief of the fire department, emergency medical services, or search and rescue operation provider or the chief's designee verifying that the employee was responding to an emergency call and the date and time of release from the call. The University of Denver will not discriminate or retaliate against any employee for requesting or taking leave in compliance with this policy.
The University of Denver may require that employees use available vacation or paid sick leave during otherwise unpaid time off taken under this policy.