Maryland paid sick leave law
The short answer
Maryland Healthy Working Families Act: earned sick and safe leave accrues at a rate of at least 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (employers may instead front-load the year's amount). (Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(b)) An employer need not allow an employee to accrue a total of more than 64 hours of earned sick and safe leave at any time. (Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(c)(3)) An employer need not let an employee earn more than 40 hours of earned sick and safe leave in a year. (Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(c)(1))
Last verified Sep 24, 2026 · How we verify every rule
General information, not legal advice. This page is for general information only and isn’t legal, financial or tax advice. Laws vary by state and change; check the official source or talk to a qualified professional about your situation. Every rule on this page links to its official source.
Paid sick leave
Do you have to give paid sick leave?Yes, statewideVerified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency
Accrual: Maryland Healthy Working Families Act: earned sick and safe leave accrues at a rate of at least 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (employers may instead front-load the year's amount). (Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(b))
“(b) The earned sick and safe leave provided under subsection (a) of this section shall accrue at a rate of at least 1 hour for every 30 hours an employee works.”
“Alternatively, an employee can accrue earned sick and safe leave at the rate of at least one hour for every 30 hours the employee works.”
mgaleg.maryland.gov · labor.maryland.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources
Accrued balance cap: An employer need not allow an employee to accrue a total of more than 64 hours of earned sick and safe leave at any time. (Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(c)(3))
“(3) accrue a total of more than 64 hours at any time;”
“Under the latter approach, employees are permitted to carry over earned sick and safe leave up to a maximum of 40 hours and up to a maximum total accrual amount of 64 hours.”
mgaleg.maryland.gov · labor.maryland.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources
Annual cap: An employer need not let an employee earn more than 40 hours of earned sick and safe leave in a year. (Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(c)(1))
“(1) earn more than 40 hours of earned sick and safe leave in a year;”
“An employee is entitled to accrue 40 hours of sick and safe leave in a year regardless of the number of hours worked.”
mgaleg.maryland.gov · labor.maryland.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources
Effective date: The Maryland Healthy Working Families Act took effect February 11, 2018, after the General Assembly overrode the Governor’s veto. (Maryland Department of Labor, Sick and Safe Leave)
“The Maryland Healthy Working Families Act (MHWFA – often referred to as “Sick and Safe Leave”) took effect February 11, 2018.”
“Employers must begin complying with the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act on February 11, 2018.”
labor.maryland.gov · labor.maryland.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency
Employer coverage: All employers with employees whose primary work location is Maryland must provide earned sick and safe leave: paid leave if they employ 15 or more employees, unpaid leave if they employ fewer. (Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(a)(1))
“(a) (1) (i) Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, an employer that employs 15 or more employees shall provide an employee with earned sick and safe leave that is paid at the same wage rate as the employee normally earns.”
“Employers who employ 15 or more employees are required to provide paid earned safe and sick leave. Employers with less than 15 employees are required to provide unpaid earned sick and safe leave.”
mgaleg.maryland.gov · labor.maryland.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official sources
One more case for this topic is not verified yet. Check the official source.
What it means for an employer
- Put your sick leave policy in writing: accrual rate, yearly cap, carryover and how to request leave.
- Track accrued and used hours for each employee in payroll.
- Check the verified rules above for the employer size and employees covered.
The federal default
“There is currently no federal law guaranteeing access to paid sick leave, although many states and localities have passed paid sick leave laws.”
State rules can add to the federal default. The Maryland rules above are the ones we verified; for anything not covered, ask the state labor office.
Paid sick leave: Maryland and its neighbors
| State | Paid sick leave |
|---|---|
| Maryland | Yes, statewide |
| Virginia | Yes, statewide |
| West Virginia | Not verified |
| Pennsylvania | No statewide law |
| Delaware | Not verified |
| District of Columbia | Yes, statewide |
Only verified rules are shown. "Not verified" means we have not checked that state's rule yet; open its rulebook for the official source.
Related
Questions about Maryland paid sick leave law
Do you have to give paid sick leave in Maryland?
Accrual: Maryland Healthy Working Families Act: earned sick and safe leave accrues at a rate of at least 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (employers may instead front-load the year's amount). (Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(b)) Accrued balance cap: An employer need not allow an employee to accrue a total of more than 64 hours of earned sick and safe leave at any time. (Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(c)(3)) Annual cap: An employer need not let an employee earn more than 40 hours of earned sick and safe leave in a year. (Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(c)(1)) Effective date: The Maryland Healthy Working Families Act took effect February 11, 2018, after the General Assembly overrode the Governor’s veto. (Maryland Department of Labor, Sick and Safe Leave) Employer coverage: All employers with employees whose primary work location is Maryland must provide earned sick and safe leave: paid leave if they employ 15 or more employees, unpaid leave if they employ fewer. (Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-1304(a)(1))
Sources (4)
Checked Sep 24, 2026 · How we verify every rule · Report an error