Employee Handbook - Maryland

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

State of Maryland

[COMPANY LEGAL NAME]

Effective Date: [MM/DD/YYYY]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Handbook Status and Administration
2. Equal Employment, Harassment, Pregnancy, and Accommodation
3. Hiring, Wage, Hour, Payroll, Break, and PTO Policies
4. Sick and Safe, Family, Court, Voting, and Military Leave
5. Safety, Workers Compensation, Smoke-Free Workplace, and Conduct
6. Records, Confidentiality, Technology, and Protected Activity
7. Attendance and Corrective Action
8. Separation of Employment
9. Administration and Acknowledgment

1. HANDBOOK STATUS AND ADMINISTRATION

1.1 Purpose and Scope

This Handbook states the general policies of [Company Legal Name] (the “Company”) for Employees working in Maryland. It must be completed for the Company's workforce, locations, industry, benefits, and any collective bargaining agreement before distribution.

1.2 Not a Contract; Employment Relationship

This Handbook is not an employment contract, a promise of employment for a fixed term, or a guarantee that any corrective-action step will be used. The Company's policy is employment at will to the extent Maryland law permits. Only [AUTHORIZED TITLE] may sign an agreement changing that relationship.

1.3 Reporting Channels and Anti-Retaliation

An Employee may report a concern orally or in writing to [SUPERVISOR], [HR CONTACT], or [ALTERNATE/ETHICS CONTACT], and may bypass anyone involved in the concern. The Company will respond promptly and impartially and prohibits retaliation for good-faith reports, accommodation requests, wage complaints, protected leave, jury service, voting leave, safety reports, workers compensation activity, participation in an investigation, or other legally protected conduct.

1.4 Definitions, Coverage, and Local-Law Review

“Employee” means an individual employed by the Company, whether full-time, part-time, temporary, or seasonal. A statute or benefit plan may use a different eligibility definition.

“Workweek” means the fixed seven-day period beginning at [DAY/TIME] and ending at [DAY/TIME] for payroll and overtime purposes.

Complete before issue:

• One or more Employees for Maryland harassment-law and workers-compensation review: ☐ Yes ☐ No
• Fifteen or more Employees for general Maryland civil-rights, paid sick-and-safe-leave, and federal civil-rights review: ☐ Yes ☐ No
• Fifteen to forty-nine Maryland Employees and not FMLA-covered for Maryland parental-leave review: ☐ Yes ☐ No
• Fifty or more Employees for FMLA review: ☐ Yes ☐ No
• Employees under age eighteen: ☐ Yes ☐ No
• Employees working in more than one state: ☐ Yes ☐ No
• Collective bargaining agreement applies: ☐ Yes ☐ No

Human Resources must separately review every county or municipal ordinance applicable to an Employee's work location, including local minimum-wage and leave rules. This state template does not substitute for a local overlay.

2. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT, HARASSMENT, PREGNANCY, AND ACCOMMODATION

2.1 Equal Employment Opportunity

The Company prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, disability, or any other status protected by Company policy or applicable state, federal, or local law.

Maryland and federal laws use different coverage thresholds and protected categories. Maryland's statutory harassment definition does not require conduct to be severe or pervasive. Human Resources must apply each law that covers the Company and Employee.

2.2 Complaint Procedure

Employees should report discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or an accommodation need to [HR CONTACT] or [ALTERNATE CONTACT]. Reports will be addressed promptly and as confidentially as reasonably possible. Employees may contact a government agency or pursue another protected remedy without first exhausting this internal process.

2.3 Disability, Religion, and Pregnancy

The Company will engage in an appropriate interactive process and provide reasonable accommodation when required for disability, religion, pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.

Maryland treats disabilities caused or contributed to by pregnancy or childbirth as temporary disabilities for job-related purposes. The Company will apply leave, benefit, seniority, reinstatement, and temporary-disability policies on the terms required by Md. Code Ann., State Gov't § 20-609; explore requested accommodations; and make a qualifying transfer when the statute requires.

The Company will post the required pregnancy-rights information and includes the following handbook notice: an Employee may request a reasonable accommodation or leave for a disability caused or contributed to by pregnancy. Possible accommodations include changed duties or hours, relocation of the work area, aids, transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous position, or leave. Contact [HR CONTACT] to request an accommodation. The Company will not interfere with the exercise of rights under § 20-609 and will also apply the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act when it provides additional protection.

3. HIRING, WAGE, HOUR, PAYROLL, BREAK, AND PTO POLICIES

3.1 Job Postings and Wage History

For a position that will be physically performed at least partly in Maryland, every public or internal posting will disclose the good-faith wage range, a general description of benefits, and other compensation offered. If no posting was made available to an applicant, Human Resources will provide that information before discussing compensation and upon request.

The Company will not seek or rely on wage history except after an initial offer with compensation and only in the limited circumstances permitted by Md. Code Ann., Lab. & Empl. § 3-304.2. It will not retaliate against an applicant or Employee for withholding wage history, requesting a wage range, or exercising a protected right.

3.2 Classification, Minimum Wage, and Overtime

Human Resources will classify workers based on actual duties and the working relationship, not labels alone. Salaried status by itself does not establish an overtime exemption.

Maryland's statewide minimum wage is $15.00 per hour. An Employee under age eighteen may be paid 85% of the State minimum wage only when the law permits. The Company will pay the highest applicable federal, state, local, contractual, or Company rate. A tip credit, youth rate, or exemption may be used only after payroll and legal review.

Non-exempt Employees must accurately record all time worked, including authorized or unauthorized work before or after a shift, remote work, compensable travel, training, interrupted meals, and work communications. Working off the clock is prohibited, but all time actually worked must be recorded and paid.

For covered Employees, Maryland and federal law generally require one and one-half times the regular rate for hours worked over forty in a Workweek. Agriculture, bowling establishments, certain residential-care institutions, and other employments may have different rules. Lack of advance approval does not permit unpaid overtime.

3.3 Paydays, Hiring Notice, Statements, and Changes

The pay frequency is [BIWEEKLY / SEMIMONTHLY / OTHER LAWFUL SCHEDULE], and payday is [____]. Maryland generally requires pay at least once every two weeks or twice each month, with a statutory exception for administrative, executive, and professional Employees.

At hiring, the Company will give written notice of the Employee's pay rate, regular paydays, and leave benefits. For each pay period, the physical or online pay statement will include the Company's registered name, address, and telephone number; payment date; pay-period dates; hours for non-exempt Employees; pay rates; gross and net pay; each deduction by amount and name; additional bases of pay; and piece-rate information when applicable.

The Company will give at least one pay period's advance notice of a payday or wage change, except that a wage increase may be implemented without advance notice.

3.4 Deductions

The Company will make a wage deduction only when ordered by a court, expressly authorized in writing by the Employee, allowed by the Commissioner after the Employee received full consideration, or otherwise permitted by law. A general handbook acknowledgment is not a blank authorization for deductions. Payroll and Human Resources must review any property, overpayment, leave-advance, benefit, or other deduction before processing it.

3.5 Meal and Rest Periods

Maryland generally does not require meal or rest periods for adult Employees outside specially regulated industries. The Company's adult break policy is:

• Meal period: [PAID / UNPAID / LENGTH / ELIGIBILITY]
• Rest periods: [PAID / LENGTH / FREQUENCY]
• Reporting interrupted meals or missed breaks: [METHOD]

Short rest periods provided by the Company will be treated as paid time when federal law requires. An unpaid meal period must be duty-free; any work during it must be reported and paid.

A minor may not work more than five consecutive hours without a nonworking period of at least thirty minutes. Human Resources must also apply the daily school-and-work and off-duty limits in Md. Code Ann., Lab. & Empl. § 3-210.

3.6 Vacation and General PTO

The Company's written policy is:

• Accrual method: [____]
• Carryover, cap, or forfeiture rule: [____]
• Permitted uses: [____]
• Separation payout rule: [PAID / NOT PAID / CONDITIONS]
• Scheduling and approval rules: [____]

Maryland final-pay law does not require accrued-leave payout at separation only when the Company has a written policy limiting payout, gave the required hiring notice of leave benefits, and the Employee is not entitled to payout under that policy. Human Resources must administer the disclosed written policy consistently.

4. SICK AND SAFE, FAMILY, COURT, VOTING, AND MILITARY LEAVE

4.1 Maryland Earned Sick and Safe Leave

Coverage and pay status are determined under Md. Code Ann., Lab. & Empl. §§ 3-1301 through 3-1306. An employer with an average monthly workforce of fifteen or more Employees in the preceding year provides paid leave; an employer with fourteen or fewer provides at least unpaid leave. All Employees count toward employer size, but the statute excludes or exempts certain workers, including some Employees under eighteen, Employees regularly working fewer than twelve hours per week, and specified temporary, agricultural, construction, and on-call Employees.

Covered Employees accrue at least one hour for every thirty hours worked. The Company may cap annual earning at forty hours, annual use and total accrual at sixty-four hours, and carryover at forty hours. Carryover is not required when the Company lawfully frontloads the full annual amount or another statutory exception applies. The Company may restrict use during the first 106 calendar days of employment.

Leave may be used for the Employee's illness, injury, condition, or preventive care; care or preventive care for a covered family member; maternity or paternity leave; or specified needs arising from domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking affecting the Employee or a covered family member.

Foreseeable leave may require no more than seven days' reasonable advance notice. Unforeseeable leave requires notice as soon as practicable and general compliance with procedures that do not interfere with the right to use leave. The Company will not require an Employee to find a replacement. Verification may be required only in circumstances permitted by § 3-1305.

The smallest usage increment is [____], which will not exceed four hours and will comply with the payroll-system rule. Each wage payment will include, or provide online access to, the available earned sick and safe leave balance. The Company will provide the statutory notice and poster and prohibits retaliation.

4.2 Federal Family and Medical Leave

The FMLA applies to private employers with fifty or more Employees in at least twenty workweeks in the current or preceding calendar year and to covered public employers. An Employee generally must have twelve months of service, 1,250 hours worked in the prior twelve months, and fifty Employees within seventy-five miles of the worksite.

Eligible Employees may receive up to twelve workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for qualifying family, medical, and military-exigency reasons and up to twenty-six workweeks in a single twelve-month period for qualifying military-caregiver leave. Health-benefit maintenance and restoration rights apply subject to the statute. A separate FMLA policy and required notices control administration.

4.3 Maryland Parental Leave

An employer covered by Md. Code Ann., Lab. & Empl. §§ 3-1201 through 3-1203 generally has fifteen to forty-nine Employees in Maryland for the statutory period and is not FMLA-covered for the current year. An eligible Employee generally has twelve months of service, 1,250 hours in the prior twelve months, and the required worksite coverage.

An eligible Employee may receive six workweeks of unpaid leave in a twelve-month period for birth or placement for adoption or foster care. The Company may require thirty days' written notice, except for premature birth, unexpected adoption, or unexpected foster placement. Paid leave may run concurrently when permitted. Any proposed denial based on substantial and grievous economic injury requires counsel review before action.

4.4 Maryland FAMLI Implementation Alert

Maryland's Family and Medical Leave Insurance program is not yet paying benefits as of this Handbook's verification date. Current Maryland Department of Labor guidance states:

• Contributions and payroll deductions begin January 1, 2027.
• The first quarterly wage-and-hour report and contribution payment are due in April 2027.
• Benefits become available January 1, 2028.
• Employers with at least one Employee localized in Maryland must prepare for registration, plan selection, reporting, notices, and payroll implementation.

Human Resources must review current guidance at paidleave.maryland.gov before each implementation step. This alert does not promise FAMLI eligibility or benefits before the program's operative date.

4.5 Jury Service

The Company will provide time away from work for Maryland jury service and will not deprive an individual of employment or coerce, intimidate, or threaten discharge because of protected jury attendance or exercise of a protected shift-rest right.

An individual who appears for jury service for four or more hours, including travel time, may not be required to work a shift beginning at or after 5 p.m. that day or before 3 a.m. the following day. Jury leave is [PAID / UNPAID] under Company policy; Human Resources must separately apply federal salary-basis rules to exempt Employees.

4.6 Voting Leave

A Maryland registered voter who lacks two continuous off-duty hours while polls are open may take up to two paid hours to vote on election day. The Employee must furnish the proof of voting or attempted voting prescribed by the State Board. Contact [HR CONTACT] to schedule the absence.

4.7 Military Leave and Company Leave

The Company will provide military leave, nondiscrimination, benefit, and reemployment rights required by USERRA. Human Resources must separately review any public-employer, National Guard, or other military-leave rule that applies.

5. SAFETY, WORKERS COMPENSATION, SMOKE-FREE WORKPLACE, AND CONDUCT

5.1 Workplace Safety and Injury Reporting

Employees must follow safety rules, use required protective equipment, and promptly report hazards, injuries, and illnesses to [CONTACT]. The Company prohibits retaliation for a good-faith safety or injury report.

Maryland workers-compensation law generally applies to an employer with at least one covered Employee. The Company has secured required coverage or confirmed a lawful exception: ☐ Yes. Prompt reporting allows the Company and Employee to meet insurance, notice, recordkeeping, and claim duties.

5.2 Smoke- and Vape-Free Workplace

Smoking and vaping are prohibited in indoor workplaces except where Md. Code Ann., Health-Gen. § 24-505 expressly provides an exception. The Company may adopt a broader lawful no-smoking and no-vaping policy for its property.

5.3 Drug, Alcohol, Cannabis, Violence, and Weapons

Reporting to work impaired by alcohol, cannabis, an illegal drug, or another substance that prevents safe performance is prohibited. Possession, use, sale, or distribution of alcohol, cannabis, or illegal drugs during work or on Company property is prohibited except for a specifically authorized lawful business event or other written exception.

This Handbook alone does not establish a drug-testing program. Any testing policy must be separately drafted and reviewed. The Company will address lawful medication, disability, and accommodation issues under applicable law. Threats, intimidation, and violence are prohibited. The weapons policy is [INSERT SEPARATELY REVIEWED POLICY].

6. RECORDS, CONFIDENTIALITY, TECHNOLOGY, AND PROTECTED ACTIVITY

6.1 Employment Eligibility Verification

The Company will complete and retain federal Form I-9 for each covered hire and will allow the Employee to choose from legally acceptable documents. The Company will not demand a particular document or use the process for unlawful discrimination.

6.2 Confidentiality and Lawful Disclosures

Employees must protect legitimate confidential and trade-secret information learned through work. This policy does not prohibit an Employee from reporting suspected unlawful conduct to a government agency or attorney, cooperating in an investigation, discussing wages or working conditions where protected, or engaging in other legally protected activity.

6.3 Technology and Monitoring

Company systems, accounts, networks, and devices are provided primarily for business use. Limited personal use is [PERMITTED / PROHIBITED]. Use may be accessed or monitored only as disclosed and permitted by law. Employees must protect credentials, report security incidents, follow retention rules, and avoid unlawful, harassing, or unsafe use.

6.4 Separate Agreements

Any arbitration, restrictive-covenant, confidentiality, invention-assignment, commission, bonus, drug-testing, monitoring, or employment agreement must be separately drafted and reviewed for current Maryland and federal law. This Handbook itself does not impose those terms.

7. ATTENDANCE AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

7.1 Expected Conduct

Employees must perform assigned duties safely and honestly; comply with lawful policies; accurately record time and business records; protect Company, customer, and coworker property; avoid unlawful harassment, threats, or violence; and disclose actual conflicts of interest to [HR/COMPLIANCE].

7.2 Attendance and Call-In

Employees unable to report as scheduled must notify [CONTACT] by [METHOD] at least [____] before the shift when practicable. This policy will be administered consistently with accommodation, sick-and-safe-leave, FMLA, parental-leave, jury, voting, military, workers-compensation, and other protected-absence laws.

7.3 Corrective Action

The Company may use coaching, verbal warning, written warning, final warning, suspension, or termination. It may select or skip steps based on the circumstances. This policy does not create a contract or authorize action for a protected reason.

8. SEPARATION OF EMPLOYMENT

8.1 Notice and Return of Property

Employees are requested, but not required by this Handbook, to provide [____] days' resignation notice. At separation, Employees must return Company property and records. The Company will not withhold earned wages or make a property-related deduction unless a specific deduction is permitted by Md. Code Ann., Lab. & Empl. § 3-503 and other applicable law.

8.2 Final Pay and Benefits

All wages due for work performed before separation will be paid on or before the payday on which the Employee would have received them if employment had continued. Accrued-leave payout will follow the properly disclosed written policy and Md. Code Ann., Lab. & Empl. § 3-505. Commissions, bonuses, severance, expenses, and benefits will be handled under the governing written policy, plan, agreement, and applicable law.

9. ADMINISTRATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

9.1 Policy Administration

The Company may prospectively revise policies in writing, subject to applicable law, earned wages and leave, contracts, and collective bargaining agreements. If a policy conflicts with controlling law, the law controls and the policy will be administered as closely as possible to its lawful purpose.

9.2 No Mandatory Internal Exhaustion

Employees are encouraged to use internal reporting channels, but nothing in this Handbook requires an Employee to waive or delay a right to contact a government agency, file a charge, report a crime, seek emergency assistance, consult counsel, discuss wages or working conditions where protected, or pursue another protected remedy.

9.3 No Risk-Shifting Terms

This Handbook does not impose arbitration, a jury waiver, employee indemnity, a damages cap, attorney-fee shifting, an exclusive court forum, a pre-claim notice-and-cure period, a final-wage setoff, or a force-majeure excuse from wage, leave, safety, or insurance obligations.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT

I, [EMPLOYEE NAME], acknowledge that I received the [Company Legal Name] Employee Handbook effective [MM/DD/YYYY] and understand that I am expected to follow its lawful policies. I understand that this acknowledgment and the Handbook are not employment contracts and do not promise employment for a fixed term.