What employers in Maryland must do
Checked November 8, 2026From the agencies that run each program
Short answer
Employers in Maryland must pay most workers at least $15.00 an hour.
Maryland has passed a paid leave law, Maryland Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI). Premiums of 0.9% of wages start January 1, 2027.
Maryland employers covered by MarylandSaves that don’t offer a qualified retirement plan must register by their deadline.
The next employer deadline in Maryland is November 15, 2026: Last day to file a Declaration of Intent (DOI) for employers that plan to use a private plan and want to hold 2027 contributions in escrow instead of paying the State Plan.
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Maryland requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | In effect | $15.00 an hour for most workers |
| Retirement mandate: MarylandSaves | In effect | Maryland employers (for-profit or nonprofit) that have been in business for at least 2 calendar years (all of the current and preceding calendar year), have at least one employee age 18 or older, and pay employees through a payroll system or service. Excluded: government employers, businesses with no employees or that run payroll manually, and employers that offer, or in the preceding 2 calendar years offered, a 401(k), 403(b), Simplified Employee Pension (SEP), SIMPLE individual retirement account (IRA), defined benefit or similar plan. |
| Paid leave: Maryland FAMLI | Upcoming | Every employer with at least one employee whose job is based in Maryland. There is no small-business exemption. An owner who is the business’s only employee, including the owner of an S corporation, isn’t treated as an employer and doesn’t register. Federal employees aren’t covered, and self-employed people will be able to opt in later. |
Pay rules Maryland employers must follow
- Paydays
- At least every two weeks or twice a month. Executive, administrative and professional employees may be paid less often.
- Final paycheck, fired
- By the next regular payday.
- Final paycheck, quit
- By the next regular payday.
- Meal breaks
- No state requirement for adults, except at retail employers with 50 or more retail employees: a 30-minute break for shifts over 6 hours in a row. If a shift reaches 8 hours in a row, they owe an additional 15-minute break for every additional 4 hours in a row.
- Rest breaks
- No state requirement for adults, except at those large retail employers: a 15-minute break for shifts of 4 to 6 hours in a row.
- Overtime
- Most employees get time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. Under state law, employees of bowling alleys and non-hospital residential care institutions get it after 48 hours, though federal law may still require it after 40. Agricultural workers who are not otherwise exempt get it after 60 hours.
- New hire reporting
- Within 20 days of hire or rehire, to the Maryland State Directory of New Hires
From the Maryland Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables, checked November 8, 2026.
Upcoming Maryland deadlines
· Retirement mandate
MarylandSaves: Next deadline for newly eligible businesses
Register and start sending payroll contributions (or, if you offer your own plan, file the waiver claim) by this date to get the fee waiver on your 2027 SDAT annual report. · 1+ employees
· Paid leave
Maryland Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI): Contributions begin on wages paid: 0.9% of wages up to the Social Security wage base
Employers must give employees written notice at least one pay period before deductions start.
· Paid leave
Maryland Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI): Deadline to give all current employees the 2027 notice about benefits and how to file a claim
The same notice goes to anyone hired on or after this date.
· Paid leave
Maryland Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI): Second-quarter 2027 Quarterly Wage and Hour Report and contribution payment due
July 31 falls on a Saturday; the state treats a payment received the next business day as on time.
· Paid leave
Maryland Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI): Private plan application deadline for employers whose Declaration of Intent was accepted
An employer that doesn’t apply owes its 2027 contributions, plus any interest or penalties, to the state fund.
· Paid leave
Maryland Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI): Third-quarter 2027 Quarterly Wage and Hour Report and contribution payment due
October 31 falls on a Sunday; the state treats a payment received the next business day as on time.
· Paid leave
Maryland Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI): Deadline for the Maryland Department of Labor to set the 2028 contribution rate
By law the total rate can’t exceed 1.2% of wages.
· Retirement mandate
MarylandSaves: Annual December 31 cutoff: register and send contributions, or file the waiver claim, to qualify for the 2028 SDAT fee waiver
Claims received after December 31, 2026 count toward 2028. · 1+ employees
· Paid leave
Maryland Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI): First-quarter 2028 Quarterly Wage and Hour Report and contribution payment due
April 30 falls on a Sunday; the state treats a payment received the next business day as on time.
· Paid leave
Maryland Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI): Annual employee notice due
From July 1, 2028, employers give the benefits notice to every employee once a year.
Deadline calendar for every state · How to hire your first employee · Employer law changes for 2027 · All states
Sources
- Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry
- Maryland Small Business Retirement Savings Board
- Maryland Department of Labor, Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) Division
- State Payday Requirements (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- State Minimum Wage Laws, including premium (overtime) pay after designated hours (updated November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Frequency of Payment, Maryland Department of Labor (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Payment on Termination, Maryland Department of Labor (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Breaks, Maryland Department of Labor (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Labor and Employment § 3-710, Shift breaks for retail employees, Maryland General Assembly (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Maryland State Directory of New Hires: user guide, Maryland State Directory of New Hires (Maryland Department of Human Services, Child Support Administration) (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Report New Hires, Maryland Department of Human Services (read Nov 8, 2026)