The Maryland General Assembly has approved a paid sick leave bill, with enough support to override a promised veto by Governor Hogan. The legislation, which would extend paid sick leave to almost 700,000 Maryland workers, requires employers with 15 or more workers to provide at least 5 days of paid sick leave per year to employees.
Governor Hogan had proposed alternative legislation that required paid sick leave benefits only for companies with at least 50 workers and made tax incentives available for smaller companies that offered paid sick leave; however, that bill was rejected by the legislature. If Governor Hogan follows through on his promise to veto the current bill, lawmakers will have to wait until next year’s legislative session to override the veto, meaning the bill would not take effect until 2018.
The new legislation does not require employers to modify existing paid leave policies that allow employees to use and accrue leave in a manner that is at least equivalent to that provided in the bill. This language seems to address the existence of the Montgomery County Sick & Safe Leave Law, which went into effect on October 1, 2016, and requires employers with as few as 5 employees to provide at least 7 days of paid sick leave per year. It appears that employers who are already in compliance with the Montgomery County law will not be additionally impacted by the new Maryland legislation.
When the new legislation goes into effect, Maryland will join seven other states and the District of Columbia which require employers to provide paid sick leave.
The contents of this Alert are for informational purposes only, and do not constitute legal advice. If you have any questions about this Alert, please contact a member of the Shulman Rogers Employment and Labor Law Group or the Shulman Rogers attorney with whom you regularly work.
Meredith “Merry” Campbell
301-255-0550
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