Maryland Worker Rights
Maryland raised its minimum wage to $15 in 2025, requires paid sick leave, and has one of the few state heat stress standards.
- Maryland
Pay
- Minimum wage: $15.00 per hour since January 2025. Montgomery County sets higher local rates.
- Overtime: 1.5x over 40 hours a week.
- Final pay: by the next regular payday.
- Prevailing wage: required on many state and local public works projects.
Breaks and leave
- Healthy Working Families Act: 1 hour of sick and safe leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year; paid at employers with 15 or more employees.
- FAMLI: a state paid family and medical leave program has been passed, with benefits delayed to a later start date.
- Heat: MOSH’s heat stress standard requires water, shade, rest and a written plan. See Maryland (MOSH).
Unions and right-to-work
Maryland is not a right-to-work state, so a union contract can require covered workers to pay at least a fee for representation. Private-sector workers have the right to organize under federal law. See Your Right to Organize.
Where to file
- Unpaid wages and overtime: Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry, Employment Standards Service.
- Discrimination and harassment: Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, or the U.S. EEOC.
- Safety: MOSH, the state plan, covers most private and public employers.
- Work injuries: report the injury to your employer right away, in writing, and follow up with Maryland’s workers’ compensation agency. See Workers’ Compensation.
Check current rules: this is a summary. Wage rates and labor laws change often, usually on January 1 or July 1, and cities and counties can add their own rules. Confirm details with the Maryland Department of Labor before acting. Federal protections apply too. See Where to Get Help.
Standards & references
Last updated: