Paid Sick Leave Dead on Arrival

Date: May 30, 2017

Gov. Hogan signed hundreds of bills into law in May, but vetoed paid sick leave (House Bill 1).

The issue was one of the session’s most contentious, but after weeks of fighting, the Legislature passed the proposal and sent it to Gov. Hogan, who vowed it was ‘dead on arrival.’ Hogan had opened session with his own paid sick leave proposal, which was much friendlier to businesses than the one that showed up on his desk.

In a statement, the governor’s office called it “a deeply flawed, job-killing paid leave bill.”

“He has declared to our small-business community that his advocacy efforts on their behalf and his dedication to drastically reducing regulations that hinder job growth and economic progress is and will continue to be his primary focus in making Maryland more business-friendly,” said NFIB/Maryland State Director Mike O’Halloran. 

Under HB 1, employers with 15 or more workers would have been required to provide 40 hours of paid sick leave each year. They would also have to provide paid sick leave to part-time employees who work at least 12 hours per week. Companies that already offer five days of paid leave for either vacation or sick days would have been considered compliant.

NFIB/MD fought hard against this bill all session, pointing out that thousands of jobs would be lost as a result of it. However, none of the amendments that were proposed to help small businesses handle the impact of the mandate were implemented

Subscribe For Free News And Tips

Enter your email to get FREE small business insights. Learn more

Get to know NFIB

NFIB is a member-driven organization advocating on behalf of small and independent businesses nationwide.

Learn More

Or call us today
1-800-634-2669

© 2001 - 2024 National Federation of Independent Business. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Conditions | Privacy