Maryland - Mandatory Paid Leave Put on Hold for Now

House and Senate leadership announced that legislation that would mandate businesses provide paid leave to employees, will not pass this session. Instead leadership is encouraging groups on both sides of the fight to work out difference during the Summer. Mandatory paid Leave legislation, SB 40 / HB 385 would have required employers with 10 or more employees to provide one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked, among other things.
It’s almost guaranteed based on leadership’s statement that there will be a push to pass some form of mandated paid leave next session. We encourage members to continue to contact your legislators about this issue. Summer is a great time to schedule a meeting with your elected representatives, while they are home in the district. 

As they’re currently written, identical bills SB40/HB 385:

• Requires employers of 10 or more workers to provide their employees with paid leave
• Requires employers of 9 or less workers to provide unpaid leave
• Requires the accrual of 1 hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked
• Applies to all employees that regularly work more than 8 hours a week
• Allows employees to earn up to and carry-over up to 56 hours of unused leave from one year to the next
• Has a very broad use of when employees can take leave
• Wold require new labor law posters
• Includes civil penalties of up to $250
• Requires employers to keep documentation of all employees paid
  leave records for at least three years after they have left the
  business

• Limits the ability for employer to ask employees for documentation
• Mandates that employers may not require employees taking leave to find a replacement

This legislation ignores the fact that most small business owners already arrange for their employees to take time off as needed, whether for illness or for a family emergency. The reality for Maryland businesses is that most owners compete for qualified employees by offering flexibility to balance family and work. This legislation will force many business owners to reduce the amount of vacation time and other perks they currently offer.

TAKE ACTION

1. Please contact Miranda Bond at [email protected] or 202-314-2070 to get more involved.