Last updated: 2026-09-21.
Statewide MandateHow Maryland's real statutory thresholds apply to specific employer profiles. Each section re-frames the state law above for one audience — the underlying figures never change, only the lens does.
For employers with fewer than 15 employees: Maryland requires paid sick leave for 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid). 5 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City. Source: https://www.labor.maryland.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid)". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For employers with 50 or more employees: Maryland requires paid sick leave for 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid). 5 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City. Source: https://www.labor.maryland.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid)". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant, café, and food-service operators: Maryland requires paid sick leave for 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid). 5 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City. Source: https://www.labor.maryland.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including restaurants & food service, use the same statewide thresholds: 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores, shops, and chains: Maryland requires paid sick leave for 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid). 5 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City. Source: https://www.labor.maryland.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including retail employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics, hospitals, and healthcare staffing: Maryland requires paid sick leave for 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid). 5 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City. Source: https://www.labor.maryland.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including healthcare employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hr teams onboarding new employees: Maryland requires paid sick leave for 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid). 5 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City. Source: https://www.labor.maryland.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid)". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant and food-service operators with fewer than 15 employees: Maryland requires paid sick leave for 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid). 5 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City. Source: https://www.labor.maryland.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small restaurants (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant groups and chains with 50 or more employees: Maryland requires paid sick leave for 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid). 5 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City. Source: https://www.labor.maryland.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large restaurants & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores and shops with fewer than 15 employees: Maryland requires paid sick leave for 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid). 5 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City. Source: https://www.labor.maryland.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small retail (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail chains with 50 or more employees: Maryland requires paid sick leave for 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid). 5 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City. Source: https://www.labor.maryland.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large retail & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics and healthcare practices with fewer than 15 employees: Maryland requires paid sick leave for 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid). 5 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City. Source: https://www.labor.maryland.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small healthcare (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hospitals and healthcare systems with 50 or more employees: Maryland requires paid sick leave for 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid). 5 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City. Source: https://www.labor.maryland.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large healthcare systems (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Statewide mandate | Yes |
| Employer threshold | 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid) |
| Accrual rate | 1 hour per 30 hours worked |
| Max accrual / year | 40 hours per year |
| Paid or unpaid | mixed |
| Carryover | Yes |
| Qualified reasons | Own/family illness, preventive care, safety. |
| Effective date | Feb 11, 2018 |
| Official source | https://www.labor.maryland.gov/ ↗ |
These cities/counties in Maryland have their own sick leave rules that may exceed the state standard. Each links to a dedicated page with the full local breakdown.
| Locality | Employer threshold | Accrual | Max | Paid/Unpaid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours | Up to 80 hours (varies by size) | paid |
| Prince George's County | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours | 40 hours/year | paid |
| Howard County | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours | 40 hours/year | paid |
| Anne Arundel County | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours | 40 hours/year | paid |
| Baltimore City | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours | 40 hours/year | paid |
Maryland's Healthy Working Families Act guarantees earned sick and safe leave from the first employee, with paid status for employers of 15+. Federal law sets no paid sick-leave floor, and the FMLA is unpaid and limited to 50+ employee employers. Maryland's 'safe leave' for domestic-violence and sexual-assault reasons has no federal sick-leave equivalent.
Maryland's 15+ paid threshold is the highest headcount split among the Northeast-style mandates — more generous to small employers than Massachusetts (11+), Rhode Island (18+), or Connecticut's phased glide, but narrower than New Jersey's all-employer paid rule. Several Maryland counties (Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard, Anne Arundel, Baltimore City) impose stricter 1-employee paid ordinances that displace the state baseline locally.
| Year | Change |
|---|---|
| 2017 (eff. Feb 11, 2018) | Healthy Working Families Act took effect, requiring earned sick and safe leave statewide. |
| 2017 | Montgomery County's prior Earned Sick and Safe Leave ordinance grandfathered (predates state law); other counties later adopted stricter local rules. |
| 2026 | No new statewide change to the earned leave entitlement; employers should track local ordinance updates and Commissioner guidance. |
Employers in Maryland most often trip on the items below. Amounts are typical statutory ranges — confirm the current figure with the state labor department before acting.
| Violation | Typical penalty / fine | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Denying earned sick/safe leave | Employer owes the full unpaid value plus actual damages, up to 3x the employee's hourly wage per violation, and a civil penalty up to $1,000 per non-compliant employee. | Enforced by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry. |
| Retaliation for using leave | Employees may sue within 3 years for reinstatement, back pay, and damages; the Commissioner can also pursue penalties. | Anti-retaliation is expressly protected under the Act. |
| Ignoring a stricter local ordinance | In covered counties the local paid ordinance applies; non-compliance carries the local penalty schedule plus state exposure. | Montgomery County's ordinance predates and survives the state law. |
Use the button below to print or save a one-page compliance summary for Maryland. It includes the state law table and any local ordinances above.
Yes. Maryland requires paid sick leave for 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid). Accrual is 1 hour per 30 hours worked, capped at 40 hours per year, with carryover Yes.
Employees accrue 1 hour per 30 hours worked. The max accrual is 40 hours per year.
5 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City.
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