Maryland Healthy Working Families Act
February 5, 2018
On January 12, the Maryland General Assembly passed the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act. Also known as House Bill 1 (Maryland Healthy Working Families Act) requires employers to provide covered employees with paid sick and safe leave effective February 11, 2018.
- Employers with 15 or more employees must provide paid sick leave.
- Employers with 14 or fewer employees must provide sick leave, but it may be unpaid.
The Act does not apply to workers who:
- are under the age of 18,
- regularly work fewer than 12 hours per week,
- are independent contractors,
- work in the agricultural sector on an agricultural operation, or
- work on an as-needed basis in the health or human services industry.
Special rules apply to tipped employees in the restaurant industry.
For eligible employees, the employer must provide paid leave allowing the employees to care for the physical or mental health of the employee or a family member, take maternity or paternity leave or obtain relief in response to domestic or sexual assault of the employee or a family member.
Employees can carry over up to 40 hours of paid leave a year.
For more information please click here.
