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Sea Dogs Survey Results
We will not be moving forward with the Father’s Day Sea Dogs event due to limited staff availability. We’re looking into other dates and alternative ideas and will share updates soon
Maine Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) – Coming May 1, 2026
Beginning May 1, 2026, Maine’s Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) law will go into effect, providing eligible employees with paid, job-protected leave for qualifying family and medical reasons. This includes time off for an employee’s own serious health condition, caring for a family member, bonding with a new child, or certain military-related needs.
Employees who have earned wages in Maine and meet minimum earnings requirements will be eligible to apply for PFML benefits The benefit is designed to support workers across a wide range of employment situations, offering partial wage replacement during approved leave periods.
Payroll Deductions for the PFML premiums will begin with the May 14, 2026, paycheck. A deduction of .050% of subject wages will be applied.
For example: An employee with $2,000 in subject wages will have a PFML deduction of $10 00
($2,000 x 0 0050 = $10 00)
UNUM will administer Day’s PFML benefits through a private plan. Applications for Maine Paid Family Medical Leave benefits through UNUM will be available starting May 1, 2026.
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Maine Paid Family Medical Leave Employee Written Notice
Date: March 6, 2026
Employer: H.E. Murdock Co. Inc., dba Day’s Jewelers
Mailing Address: 21 College Ave, Suite 1 Waterville ME 04901
Federal Employer Identification Number: 01-0446411
This notice is for employers who have a Private Plan Substitution. It explains your rights and responsibilities under the State of Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. The law requires that we give this information to every current employee and to new employees in the first 30 days of employment.
Employee Contributions
This company has set up a private plan to meet our Maine PFML obligations The law says that employers can deduct up to half of one percent (0 5%) of wages from each employee’s paycheck to pay for this coverage (up to the same limit in place for Social Security deductions). The deduction will be reported on your payroll advice slip.
Your payroll withholdings for the PFML program will begin on May 14, 2026 at a rate of .50%.
Eligibility for Leave
Eligible employees may take up to 12 weeks per benefit year of paid leave under the Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program to care for their own serious health condition, to care for a family member with a serious health condition, to bond with a new child, or for other qualifying reasons. The employer’s private plan administrator will determine whether the employee meets the eligibility requirements in accordance with the approved plan policy.
Reasons for Leave
PFML benefits are available for the following situations.
· Medical Leave: For times when a serious health condition keeps you from working
· Parental Leave: Time to bond with a child after birth, fostering or adoption
· Family Care Leave: Time to care for a loved one with a serious health condition
· Military Family Leave: Time to prepare for a family member’s deployment.
· Safe Leave: Time to find safety after abuse or violence.
FROM THE VAULT
Updated Item Search Now Live
In support of our strategic plan around training and technology, we ’ ve enhanced the Item Search to make it easier and more effective to find product. The updated Item Search now includes most product attributes, allowing for more targeted and efficient searches
Please note: not all items are displayed on our customer-facing website as part of our Brand Evolution. The Item Search includes all merchandise, so using this tool is the best way to ensure you can locate the product you ’ re looking for. What’s new in Item Search:
· Expanded and more relevant attributes by category
· Style attributes are now included, allowing you to search by product type (for example, Halo engagement rings instead of viewing all engagement rings)
· A new Compare feature that lets you view images and basic details for multiple items side by side
We are currently rolling out training with all stores on how to best use the updated Item Search If you would like to schedule training, please reach out to your management team to coordinate with Heather.
The Showcase
Merchandising
WHO DO I ASK?
Questions, suggestions, product needs Below are your most direct contacts for the merchandising department! You can reach out by email, Teams, or phone!
BUYERS
Product sourcing, product needs, suggestions, questions, training related to diamond product (diamond bridal, diamond fashion, loose diamonds, wedding bands, etc.) please reach out to Amy Corey- acorey@daysjewelers com
Product sources, product needs, suggestions, questions, training related to gold, silver, color (John Hardy, loose gemstones (including Maine Tourmaline), finished gemstones items, gold and silver basics and fashion) please reach out to Lindsay Violette- lviolette@daysjwelers.com
Watch questions, Preowned Rolex pricing, product needs, suggestions, training for watches, please reach out to Julie Collins and Kristy Richard (jcollins@daysjewlers.com, krichard@daysjewelers com)
Special Orders placed through Centralized Special Orders, please reach out to the assistant buyers (assistantbuyer@daysjewelers.com)
Buyers@daysjewelers.com will reach the entire Buying team and the VP of Merchandising
INVENTORY OPERATIONS
High value package approval or shipping questions please contact Heather Pilon and Mary Clunie- hpilon@daysjewelers com, mclunie@daysjewelers com
Adaptive errors related to inventory, items, shipping please contact Heather Pilon and Mary Clunie- hpilon@daysjewelers.com, mclunie@daysjewelers.com
Transfer issues or questions, tag batches, item adjustments, general inventory related questions please email inv@daysjewelers.com
Location Spotlight
South Portland
20 years ago, South Portland held their first ever wedding band event. Salespeople from all stores worked in South Portland for the weekend and invited their clients to travel to South Portland for the special band sale It was my first year working at Day’s Jewelers as a salesperson from the Bangor store. I remember meeting the legend Jaime Bachman that weekend and going out to dinner with her and a group of girls. Fun memories. South Portland once again had another successful event, exceeding their goal with over $285,000 in sales The team was very well-prepared setting appointments with their guests and had amazing steady traffic all weekend. The team sold a lot of precious metal bands for men which really helped keep the average ticket high, along with stunning diamond bands for the ladies Way to go team South Portland!
Bangor
Team Bangor officially kicked off Wedding Band Event season on March 27 with an impressive start The team surpassed their sales goal, achieving over $175K marking a strong start to wedding season and helped many couples take the next step toward their big day.
In terms of trends, we saw growing interest in contour bands designed to complement larger, fancy-cut center stones, along with men ’ s bands featuring distinctive designs in precious metals.
Location Spotlight
Waterville
We recently had the chance to host a local Girl Scout troop at our Waterville store, and it was a great visit all around.
The group came in ready to participate, asking questions, trying things out, and staying engaged the whole time. They worked well together and brought a lot of positive energy into the space, which made the experience enjoyable for both them and our team. We love spending time with our local Girl Scout troops
