--- title: "Maryland Paid Sick Leave Law: 1 Hour per 30 Hours Worked" description: "Maryland paid sick leave: 1 hour per 30 worked, 40 hours a year, day 107 for new hires, carryover and covered uses, from official pages." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/bookkeeping/paid-sick-leave-maryland" --- Paid sick leave · Maryland # Maryland paid sick leave How employees earn sick time under Maryland Healthy Working Families Act, the yearly limit, when new hires can use it and what it covers, with a dated example. [![Intuit ProAdvisor Gold tier badge](/img/credentials/intuit-proadvisor-gold.png)](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77)Gold tier in Intuit's ProAdvisor program. [See my Intuit listing](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77) Keeping your own books? Tallyfinch does invoices, bank import and reports on your computer. [See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) **Short answer.** 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Employees who regularly work fewer than 12 hours a week are not covered. Up to 40 hours of accrual a year; the employer may cap the total balance at 64 hours. Use may begin: new employees may have to wait 106 days from the date of hire to begin using leave. ## At a glance Law Maryland Healthy Working Families Act In effect February 11, 2018. Accrual 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Employees who regularly work fewer than 12 hours a week are not covered. Yearly limit Up to 40 hours of accrual a year; the employer may cap the total balance at 64 hours. Use may begin New employees may have to wait 106 days from the date of hire to begin using leave. Agency Maryland Department of Labor ## Rules by employer size | Employer size | Rate | Yearly limit | Paid? | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 15 or more employees (paid) | 1 hr per 30 | 40 hrs | Yes | | 14 or fewer employees (unpaid) | 1 hr per 30 | 40 hrs | Can be unpaid | ## Example with dates Suppose someone at an employer in the "14 or fewer employees (unpaid)" group starts on Monday, January 11, 2027 and works 36 hours every week. At 1 hour per 30 hours worked, that's 1.20 hours a week, and the first year comes to 40 hours, with the accrual cap of 40 hours reached on Monday, September 6, 2027. The latest an employer could hold off use is Tuesday, April 27, 2027. Hiring in another state? [Employer registration in Maryland, done for you](/bookkeeping/out-of-state-employer-registration), or [a free bookkeeping health check](/bookkeeping/health-check). - By Sunday, April 11, 2027: 14.40 hours - By Sunday, July 11, 2027: 30 hours - By Tuesday, January 11, 2028: 40 hours Your own figures: [open the calculator set to Maryland](/bookkeeping/sick-leave-accrual-calculator?state=md). ## What the time covers The employee's own or a family member's mental or physical illness, injury or condition, and absences due to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking committed against the employee or a family member. ## Unused hours at year end Up to 40 hours of earned, unused leave carries over to the next year, within the 64-hour total. ## Front-loading instead of accrual Allowed: the employer may award 40 hours, paid or unpaid as applicable, at the beginning of the year. ## Smaller employers and who is covered Employers with 14 or fewer employees must provide earned sick and safe leave, but it can be unpaid. ## Notices, posters and statements For foreseeable leave, the employer may require reasonable advance notice of no more than 7 days. ## City and county rules Yes, local paid sick leave ordinances apply in parts of the state; an employer there follows whichever rule gives employees more. The official page: [Healthy Working Families Act FAQs (Montgomery County)](https://labor.maryland.gov/paidleave/paidleavefaqs.shtml). ## Worth knowing The state FAQ notes that only Montgomery County enacted a sick and safe leave law before January 1, 2017. ## Official sources - [Maryland Healthy Working Families Act FAQs (Maryland Department of Labor)](https://labor.maryland.gov/paidleave/paidleavefaqs.shtml) (checked November 2026) Rules as published on the pages above, checked November 2026. General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. A city ordinance, union contract or written policy can give employees more. ## Questions employers ask **How much paid sick leave do employees earn in Maryland?** 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Employees who regularly work fewer than 12 hours a week are not covered. Up to 40 hours of accrual a year; the employer may cap the total balance at 64 hours. **When can a new employee start using sick leave in Maryland?** New employees may have to wait 106 days from the date of hire to begin using leave. **Does unused sick time carry over to the next year in Maryland?** Up to 40 hours of earned, unused leave carries over to the next year, within the 64-hour total. **Can a Maryland employer front-load sick leave instead of tracking accrual?** Allowed: the employer may award 40 hours, paid or unpaid as applicable, at the beginning of the year. **Do small employers in Maryland have to provide it?** Employers with 14 or fewer employees must provide earned sick and safe leave, but it can be unpaid. **What can Maryland sick leave be used for?** The employee's own or a family member's mental or physical illness, injury or condition, and absences due to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking committed against the employee or a family member. All states: [paid sick leave laws by state](/bookkeeping/paid-sick-leave-laws-by-state) · [Maine](/bookkeeping/paid-sick-leave-maine) · [Michigan](/bookkeeping/paid-sick-leave-michigan) Tallyfinch ### Books you keep on your own computer Tallyfinch does invoices, bills, bank import, reconciliation and the main reports, in a file you own. $99 once, then $5 a month for updates; the app keeps working if you stop the plan. It does not do payroll or sales tax filing. The free download records up to 60 entries. [See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) [Download it free](/tools/pro/trial/mccBooks) [Compare the three apps](/software) ## Want payroll and leave tracked for you? [See bookkeeping services](/bookkeeping/)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)