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An Act To Create Veteran-friendly Workplaces
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  26 MRSA §605  is enacted to read:
§ 605. Veterans in the workplace
An employer, as defined in section 603, subsection 1, paragraph A, shall allow an employee who is a veteran, as defined in section 877, subsection 3, to take paid leave to attend scheduled appointments at a medical facility operated by the United States Veterans Administration. The employee shall make reasonable efforts to consult with the employer before scheduling such an appointment in order to accommodate, so far as is reasonable, the needs of the employer. The employer may require reasonable advance notice and verification from the veteran of such an appointment. For purposes of this section, "paid leave" means time away from work for which an employee receives compensation, including but not limited to sick time or other paid time, and that results in no economic loss to the employee.
Sec. 2.  26 MRSA §1407  is enacted to read:
§ 1407. Veteran-friendly workplace recognition
The department shall recognize employers in the State whose workplaces have been certified as veteran-friendly workplaces by the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services pursuant to Title 37-B, section 516, subsection 2.
Sec. 3.  37-B MRSA §516  is enacted to read:
§ 516. Veteran-friendly Workplace Program established
The Veteran-friendly Workplace Program is established in the bureau to encourage employers to establish veteran-friendly workplaces and to provide assistance and training to employers in the State for that purpose. As used in this section, "veteran-friendly workplace" means a place of employment that, through policies and a workplace environment, recognizes the ways in which skills and training acquired through veterans' military service and education are translatable into workforce productivity and that accommodates challenges facing military service veterans, including, but not limited to, service-connected disabilities.
 
1.  Training.     The director shall conduct regular training sessions for employers who voluntarily decide to establish veteran-friendly workplaces that include but are not limited to providing information regarding:
 
A.  Recognizing skills acquired during military service that translate into desirable skills in the workplace;
 
B.  Understanding and recognizing the signs of post-traumatic stress disorder;
 
C.  Understanding military culture and the challenges of entering the workforce upon separation from the military; and
 
D.  Other topics the director determines would be helpful in encouraging a veteran-friendly workplace.
 
2.  Certification.     The director shall establish criteria, to be used in certifying a workplace as a veteran-friendly workplace, applicable to employers of various sizes and in various industries.
 
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a program within the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services to encourage employers in the State to establish veteran-friendly workplaces. The bill provides criteria for certifying a workplace as a veteran-friendly workplace and requires the Director of the Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services to conduct regular trainings for employers who voluntarily decide to establish such a workplace. The bill also directs the Department of Labor to establish a manner for recognizing employers whose workplaces have been certified as veteran-friendly workplaces.
This bill also requires an employer to allow an employee who is a veteran to take paid leave to attend scheduled appointments at a medical facility operated by the United States Veterans Administration. The employee must make reasonable efforts to consult with the employer before scheduling such an appointment in order to accommodate, so far as is reasonable, the needs of the employer. The employer may require reasonable advance notice and verification from the veteran of such an appointment.