Bureau of Human Resources: State of Maine

Beginning September 8, 2025, current State employees should apply for new open positions through PRISM using the "Find Jobs" report within the system. More information on how to apply for jobs in PRISM can be found on the PRISM Learning page under "Job Aids." Please note: Employees must use a State device to access the internal PRISM Learning SharePoint page.

12.8 Bereavement Leave

State Employees are entitled to bereavement leave with pay for absences resulting from the death of certain family and household members.  The number of days/hours allowed varies depending on the employee’s relationship to the deceased as well as the collective bargaining contract covering the employee’s position.  Following are each of the Bereavement Leave articles currently in effect:

MAINE STATE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
     Administrative Services Unit
     Professional & Technical Unit
     Supervisory Services Unit
     Operations, Maintenance & Support Unit

Each full-time employee covered by this Agreement shall be allowed up to forty (40) hours leave with full pay, for absences resulting from the death of a spouse or significant other, or the death of a child, grandchild, sibling, parent or stepparent of either the employee or the employee’s spouse or significant other, or the death of the stepchild, stepsibling, guardian, ward, or grandparent of the employee; or the death of the co-parent of the employee’s minor children. Employees whose regular schedule is more than eighty (80) hours in a biweekly pay period shall be allowed up to one-half of the biweekly schedule (number of biweekly hours X .5) for such paid leave. Part-time employees shall receive paid leave on a prorated basis. 

“Significant other” means that a relationship exists between two people, neither of whom is married, that is intended to remain indefinitely and where there is joint responsibility for each other’s common welfare, there are significant shared financial obligations, and there is a shared primary residence. This relationship must have existed for at least six (6) continuous months before benefits under this Article may be provided.

“Co-parent” for the purposes of the article means a former spouse or significant other of the employee who, with the employee, shares the duties of raising their biological or adopted minor child or children.

MAINE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATION

Each employee covered by this Agreement shall be allowed up to forty (40) hours leave with full pay for absences resulting from the death of a spouse or significant other, the death of a child, grandchild, sibling, parent, or stepparent of either the employee or the employee’s spouse or significant other; or the death of a step child, stepsibling, guardian, ward, or grandparent of the employee; or the death of the co-parent of the employee’s minor children.

“Significant other” means that a relationship exists between two people neither of whom are married, that is intended to remain indefinitely and where there is joint responsibility for each other’s common welfare, there is significant shared financial obligations, and there is a shared primary residence. This relationship must have existed for at least six (6) continuous months before benefits under this article may be provided for at least six (6) continuous months before benefits under this article may be provided.

“Co-parent” for the purposes of the article means a former spouse or significant other of the employee who, with the employee, shares the duties of raising their biological child or children.

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES

Each full-time employee covered by this Agreement shall be allowed up to forty (40) hours of leave with full pay, for absences resulting from the death of a qualifying relative (defined in the chart below) or in the event the employee, significant other or coparent experiences a stillbirth or miscarriage after the first 13 weeks. Any unused bereavement leave is waived after three-hundred-sixty-six (366) calendar days following the death of the covered relative. Employees whose regular schedule is more than eighty (80) hours in a biweekly pay period shall be allowed up to one-half of the biweekly schedule (number of biweekly hours X .5) for such paid leave. Part-time employees shall receive paid leave on a prorated basis. 

“Significant other” means that a relationship exists between two people, neither of whom is married, that is intended to remain indefinitely and where there is joint responsibility for each other’s common welfare, there are significant shared financial obligations, and there is a shared primary residence. This relationship must have existed for at least six (6) continuous months before benefits under this Article may be provided. 

“Co-parent” for the purposes of this article means a former spouse or significant other of the employee who, with the employee, shares the duties of raising their biological minor child or children.

MAINE STATE TROOPERS ASSOCIATION

 Each full-time employee covered by this Agreement shall be allowed up to forty (40) hours leave with pay, for absences resulting from the death of a relative of the employee or the employee’s spouse or significant other, as listed in the table below in this Article, or in the event the employee, significant other or coparent experiences a stillbirth or miscarriage after the first 13 weeks. Part-time employees shall receive paid leave on a prorated basis. 

“Significant other” means that a relationship exists between two people, neither of whom is married, that is intended to remain indefinitely and where there is joint responsibility for each other’s common welfare, there are significant shared financial obligations, and there is a shared primary residence. This relationship must have existed for at least six (6) continuous months before benefits under this Article may be provided.

CONFIDENTIAL

           Full-time employees shall be allowed up to forty (40) hours leave with full pay (part-time employees shall receive paid leave on a prorated basis based on budgeted position hours) for absences resulting from the death of the following relatives: 

Relatives of the employee

Relatives of the spouse or significant other

  • Spouse / Domestic Partner / Significant Other 

  • Child / Stepchild / Grandchild / Ward

  • Sibling / Stepsibling 

  • Parent / Stepparent / Guardian / Grandparent 

  • Co-Parent of shared minor child(ren)1

  • Child / Grandchild 

  • Parent / Stepparent 

  • Sibling

  1. Means a former spouse or significant other of the employee who, with the employee, shares the duties of raising their biological or adopted minor child or children

 

032108JTC
040210JTC
112910 JTC

102325MCE

052726MCE