Maryland Passes Paid Sick Leave Legislation

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The Maryland Healthy Working Families Act was passed on January 12, 2018 when the state legislature overrode the governor’s veto. The Act requires employers with 15 or more employees (including part-time, full-time, temporary, and seasonal workers) to provide workers with up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year. Eligible workers can use the paid sick leave to care for themselves or an ill family member; take maternity or paternity leave; or obtain services in response to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Supporters of the Act estimate that 700,000 Maryland workers will benefit. Businesses employing fewer than 15 workers must provide unpaid sick leave. The Act is scheduled to go into effect in mid-February, but the legislature may vote to delay implementation until later this year to give employers and regulators more time to prepare. As we celebrate the anniversary of the Family Medical Leave Act this week, it is important to distinguish family leave and paid sick days. Learn more in ZERO TO THREE’s brief Building A Secure and Healthy Start: Family Leave in the Early Years.