Hazard pay is in effect in Portland, following Gov. Janet Mills' declaration Thursday of a civil state of emergency for Maine's coastal counties.
Employers now need to pay one and a half times the minimum wage of $15 an hour, boosting hourly pay to $22.50 an hour.
Hazard pay was approved by voter referendum during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide extra compensation for workers who were potentially putting their health at risk. But Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Quincy Hentzel says the storm is clearly not the same situation, and it's an unintended consequence of the ordinance.
"I do think there have been a couple of instances since the ordinance passed since a state of emergency has called, hazard pay has been triggered, and it just doesn't make sense why employers have to pay their employees a higher wage just because there was a windstorm," she says.
Hentzel says it's especially challenging for smaller businesses, including child care centers. She says the ordinance should be revisited.
