Labor & Employment
Our policy focus on employment law and workplace regulation issues for Maryland
Our focus: Labor & Employment
We seek to maintain a balance in the relationship between employees and employers within the state and work to ensure policies are created that promote fairness and reduce excessive mandates.
Key Issues Include
- Mandatory paid leave
- Paid sick leave insurance
- Pre-emption of local laws on labor issues
- Public accommodation laws
- Noncompete agreements
- Minimum wage
- Predictive and restrictive scheduling
Related Policy Priorities & Anticipated Issues for 2025
- Pre-Emption: We support legislative language allowing for a single law for the state instead of a patchwork among hundreds of jurisdictions.
- Paid Family Leave Benefits: During the 2022 legislative session the Maryland General Assembly passed a paid family leave program inconsistent with many of the best practices and definitions used in other states. After initial enactment, the Maryland General Assembly made changes to the law during the 2023 and 2024 sessions, which included modifying definitions and delaying implementation. Despite the changes, we continue to have significant concerns regarding the program’s eligibility criteria. Specifically, allowing employees to qualify for the program after working 680 hours for any employer in the state will create challenges for workforce management. Additionally, we continue to seek clarity on the provisions for self-employed individuals, and we continue to support legislation that aligns Maryland’s FAMLI program more closely with the federal FMLA, which would ensure the program works for both employers and employees. Collaboration with the Maryland Department of Labor is essential to address the program’s workability and regulations. As we near the beginning of contributions on July 1, 2025, and the rollout of benefits on July 1, 2026, we urge the Department to prioritize public outreach and education to ensure employers and employees are prepared for the program.
- Cannabis — Adult-Use Legalization: Following the enactment of the adult-use legalization bill on July 1, 2023, we support an employer’s right to maintain their existing testing and workplace policies, and we oppose any bans on testing or taking employment action as a consequence of test results. The Maryland General Assembly and the state must continue to consider the impacts on employers and Maryland’s workforce while implementing and regulating this policy. We advocate for consistent testing standards across all substances, including alcohol and other drugs, ensuring employers can use established testing methods when there is reasonable suspicion of impairment to maintain a safe workplace for both employees and customers.
All 2025 Legislative Priorities & Critical Issues
Get an in-depth look at the pressing issues and legislative priorities we've identified for the 2025 Legislative Session.
Get involved
Join our Labor & Employment Policy Committee
Our Labor & Employment policy committee covers all employment law and workplace regulation issues.
This committee meets every Thursday morning during legislative session at 9:30 a.m. Meetings are held remotely via video conferencing. Outside of session, the committee generally meets once or twice in-person, in the early fall.
Contact governmentaffairs@mdchamber.org for more information.
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Legislative Tracking
Stay up to date with our members-only Bill Tracker during session. Get concise bill summaries, anticipated positions, and more. Our 2024 Bill Tracker will be available soon after the start of the 2024 Legislative Session.
Additional resources
Our resources
- Policy Primer: Maryland’s Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance Program
- Maryland Human Resource Manual (coming soon!) — Produced in partnership with HR Simple and Shawe Rosenthal LLP
Additional reading
- Maryland Department of Labor FAMLI information — Information regarding Maryland's FAMLI program, contribution rates and more
- Maryland Department of Labor — Labor laws, regulations and programs
- Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission — Information, forms and dispute resolution