As discussed in our recent employment law update, several new Maryland wage and hour laws take effect October 1, 2024. Employers who have not already done so should immediately prepare to comply with these laws when they take effect.
Starting October 1, 2024, the following new rules apply to all employers in Maryland:
Pay Transparency in Hiring Process: Employers will be required to include the wage range, a general description of benefits, and information about other compensation offered in every job posting. This information must also be provided to an applicant before compensation is discussed or upon the applicant’s request, if a complete posting was not available to the applicant at the time the application was made. The Maryland Department of Labor has prepared an FAQ, narrative examples of posting language, and an optional disclosure form with instructions, available here.
Notice of Compensation, Leave Benefits and Pay Dates: Employers will be required to provide new hires with written notice of compensation, leave benefits, and pay dates at the time of hire. This notice should include a statement about whether unused paid vacation or PTO will be paid at termination. Unless an employee is informed at the time of hire of the reasons such unused paid leave will not be paid at termination, it must be paid as part of final wages.
Pay Stubs and Pay Statements: New legislation requires employers to provide the following information on all pay stubs and pay statements:
- Employer’s name (as registered with the State of Maryland), address, and telephone number;
- Date of payment;
- Beginning and ending dates of the pay period;
- Number of hours worked during the pay period (unless the employee is exempt from federal and State overtime requirements);
- All rates of pay;
- Additional bases and amounts of pay, including bonuses, commissions on sales or other bases;
- Applicable piece rates of pay and the number of pieces completed at each piece rate for each employee paid at a piece rate;
- Gross and net pay earned during the pay period; and
- Amount and description of each deduction made from pay.
The Maryland Department of Labor has developed FAQ and sample templates, available here.
In addition, starting October 1, compensation discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited. And, finally, as described in our previous article, new wage and hour laws will take effect that are applicable to the construction and landscaping industries, and minor league baseball.
While the article provides a brief overview of these new employment laws, each has details and nuances that Maryland employers should familiarize themselves with.
If you have questions or would like additional information about any of these new laws, please contact Melissa Jones at Tydings.