Maryland mandates 1 hour of paid sick leave per 30 hours worked with a 40-hour annual cap.
Maryland's Healthy Working Families Act (HWFA) requires employers to provide paid sick and safe leave. Employees accrue 1 hour of leave for every 30 hours worked, up to a 40-hour annual cap. Unused leave can accrue up to 64 hours, with a 106-day waiting period before initial use.
Healthy Working Families Act
Maryland's unified sick and safe leave policy, mandating paid leave for covered reasons.
What those rules do as a Maryland shift is created.
When you schedule employees in Maryland, Teambridge automatically applies the HWFA's accrual and usage rules, ensuring compliance from the first hour worked.
Automated Accrual Tracking
For every 30 hours an employee works in Maryland, Teambridge credits 1 hour of sick and safe leave, automatically applying annual and total accrual caps.
Waiting Period Enforcement
The 106-calendar-day waiting period for new hires is tracked, preventing leave usage before eligibility and notifying employees of their upcoming access.
Usage Compliance & Balance Updates
When leave is requested, Teambridge verifies the employee's accrued balance, applies usage to the unified sick/safe bank, and updates remaining leave hours, preventing over-usage.
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Maryland's Healthy Working Families Act mandates paid sick and safe leave for most employees.
The Healthy Working Families Act (HWFA), effective February 11, 2018, requires employers to provide paid sick and safe leave to employees for specific health and safety reasons. The amount of leave and whether it's paid or unpaid depends on the employer's size.
Maryland Labor and Employment Article, Title 3, Subtitle 13, §§ 3-1301 et seq.
Accrual and Usage
Employees in Maryland accrue paid sick and safe leave at a rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, beginning on their first day of employment. This accrual is capped at 40 hours in a benefit year. Unused accrued leave can be carried over to the next benefit year, but an employer is not required to allow an employee to use more than 64 hours of earned sick and safe leave in a benefit year. There is a 106-calendar-day waiting period for new employees before they can begin to use accrued leave.
Leave can be used for the employee's or a family member's mental or physical illness, injury, or condition; to obtain preventative medical care; for maternity or paternity leave; or for reasons related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking (safe leave). Employers with 15 or more employees must provide paid leave. Employers with fewer than 15 employees must provide unpaid leave, though they may choose to offer it as paid.
Employer Size and Payment Obligations
The primary distinction in HWFA compliance hinges on employer size. Employers with 15 or more employees are required to provide *paid* sick and safe leave. This count includes all employees, regardless of full-time, part-time, or temporary status, who work for the employer in Maryland. For employers with fewer than 15 employees, the leave must still be provided, but it can be *unpaid*. In both scenarios, the accrual rates, annual caps, and permitted uses remain the same.
Teambridge ensures Maryland HWFA compliance without manual oversight.
From tracking accruals to enforcing waiting periods and managing usage, Teambridge automates every aspect of Maryland's Healthy Working Families Act, so you never miss a beat.
Continuous Accrual Tracking
Teambridge automatically calculates and applies sick and safe leave accruals based on hours worked, ensuring the 1-hour-per-30-hours-worked rate is consistently met for all eligible employees.
Dynamic Cap Management
The system enforces both the 40-hour annual usage cap and the 64-hour total accrual cap, preventing over-accrual and ensuring compliance with carryover rules.
Waiting Period Enforcement
Initial leave usage is blocked until an employee completes the 106-calendar-day waiting period, with clear notifications to both employees and managers.
Usage and Balance Reporting
All leave requests and approvals are logged, and employee leave balances are updated in real-time, providing an auditable trail for compliance verification.
People also ask.
What is the difference between paid and unpaid sick leave under HWFA?
The Healthy Working Families Act requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide paid sick and safe leave. Employers with fewer than 15 employees must provide leave, but it can be unpaid. The accrual rate, annual cap, and reasons for use are the same regardless of whether the leave is paid or unpaid.
How is the "15 employee" threshold determined for HWFA?
The 15-employee threshold is determined by counting all employees who work for the employer in Maryland, regardless of whether they are full-time, part-time, or temporary. This count is typically based on the average number of employees over the past year.
Can unused sick leave be carried over in Maryland?
Yes, unused accrued sick and safe leave can be carried over to the next benefit year. However, employers are not required to allow an employee to use more than 64 hours of earned sick and safe leave in a benefit year.
What is the waiting period for using HWFA sick leave?
Employees must complete a 106-calendar-day waiting period from their first day of employment before they are eligible to use any accrued sick and safe leave.
What are "safe leave" reasons under the HWFA?
Safe leave can be used when an employee or their family member is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. This includes seeking medical attention, obtaining services from a victim services organization, obtaining legal services, or participating in related court proceedings.
Does HWFA apply to all types of employees?
Generally, yes, the HWFA applies to most employees working in Maryland, including full-time, part-time, and temporary workers. There are some limited exceptions, such as certain independent contractors, employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement that waives the act's provisions, and employees of temporary staffing agencies placed with other employers.