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Maine sets its own deadline, its own penalty, and its own rule on unused vacation. Here is what the statute says, what it is worth to you, and where to file if the money never arrives.
Wages must be paid within a reasonable time after demand: the earlier of the next regular payday or two weeks after the demand (26 M.R.S. § 626).
Resignation follows the same rule: the earlier of the next regular payday or two weeks after your demand.
Maine treats accrued vacation as wages: § 626 expressly covers unpaid vacation pay at separation.
Commissions earned before separation are wages and are covered by the same rule.
26 M.R.S. § 626: an employer that fails to pay wages and accrued vacation as required is liable for twice the amount of the unpaid wages as liquidated damages, plus costs of suit including a reasonable attorney's fee.
On $2,000.00 of unpaid wages, a 2× provision would expose the employer to about $4,000.00 in total. Treat that number as leverage in the letter, not as a promise: a court or agency decides what is actually owed, and the penalty provisions usually require the employer to have acted wilfully or without good cause.
File with the Maine Department of Labor — Wage and Hour, which handles wage claims administratively, usually at no cost. The alternative is small claims court, where the limit for an individual in Maine is $6,000. Both routes go better with a dated written demand and a certified-mail receipt, because the first question either forum asks is when the employer knew.
Wages must be paid within a reasonable time after demand: the earlier of the next regular payday or two weeks after the demand (26 M.R.S. § 626).
Resignation follows the same rule: the earlier of the next regular payday or two weeks after your demand.
Maine treats accrued vacation as wages: § 626 expressly covers unpaid vacation pay at separation.
Two routes: file a wage claim with the Maine Department of Labor — Wage and Hour (https://www.maine.gov/labor/), or sue in small claims court where an individual's claim limit is $6,000. A dated written demand sent first is what makes either route easier, because it fixes the date the employer was on notice.
Only official sources are used: the state labor agency, the statute itself, and where relevant the U.S. Department of Labor. Third-party summary sites are deliberately excluded because they disagree with each other on penalty formulas.
Reviewed 2026-11-03 · reviewed again every 90 days.
being fired · resigning · a layoff · unused PTO · unpaid commissions