We previously blogged about the requirements of Maryland’s new paid sick leave law, the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act. That law took effect on February 11, 2018, despite efforts by a number of lawmakers to delay it. As required by the law and in response to thousands of questions received, the Maryland Department of Labor recently issued a frequently asked questions document, three sample policies, and an employee notice poster available in English and Spanish.  The guidance provides information on topics such as how to count your employees to determine whether you meet the 15-employee threshold for mandatory paid leave (employers with fewer than 15 employees are required to provide only unpaid leave); how the law applies when you have part-time employees, or a collective bargaining agreement; and whether you can use a different method of leave accrual for different types of employees (the answer is yes).

The Department’s guidance should prove useful to employers in complying with Maryland’s new law. If you already have a sick leave policy in place, it should be carefully reviewed to ensure it meets all of the statutory requirements, and if it does not, you should amend it or add a new policy, accordingly. In addition, if you have other leave policies such as vacation leave, PTO, parental leave, or FMLA leave, your sick leave policy will need to be coordinated with your existing policies.  Employers should also bear in mind that the Department issued its guidance with the caveat that it is only preliminary; so continue to stay tuned for further developments, including potential regulations that may be promulgated by the Department.