Laws

• Labor Statutes: Labor and Employment
• Definition of Employee: § 3-1001(c)
• Minimum Wage: 
  • $12.20/hr for employers with fourteen (14) or fewer employees (§ 3–413(a)(2)(iv)).
  • $12.50/hr for employers with fifteen (15) or more employees (§ 3–413(a)(1)(v).
• Overtime: Employees must be paid one and a half (1.5) times their hourly rate for all work that exceeds forty (40) hours with the following exceptions (§ 3–415):
  • Institutions providing on-site care to disabled, sick, or elderly persons (except for hospitals).
  • Workers in the agricultural industry (overtime starts after sixty hours) (§ 3–420).
• Record Keeping: Payroll records must be kept for a minimum of (3) years (§ 3–305),(Labor Dept.).

At-Will Employment

Permitted? Yes (Labor Dept.), at-will employment is permitted in Maryland. Employees may be hired and fired for almost any reason without a contract. However, an employer may not wrongfully terminate an employee for any of the following circumstances:

• Discrimination.
• Jury duty (§ 8–907).
• Military service.
• Making a complaint to the employer or Commissioner (§ 3–308).
• Refusing to commit criminal acts.
• Retaliation for filing workers’ compensation claims or attempting to enforce rights for receiving overtime.

Employer Resources

• Maryland Department of Labor
• Maryland Employment-Related Posters and Notices