Editing State Laws (section)

== <br>Wage and Hour Laws in Maryland<br>  ==

<br>Maryland rules on employee overtime, wage and hour law, and fair pay.<br>What is the minimum wage in Maryland? 

As of January 1, 2015, the minimum wage in Maryland is $8 per hour. Maryland has several additional increased planned: $8.25 on July 1, 2015; $8.75 on July 1, 2016; $9.25 on July 1, 2017; and $10.10 on July 1, 2018.<br> 

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<br>Is the minimum wage different in Maryland for tipped employees? 

The FLSA allows employers to pay a lower hourly minimum wage, as long as that wage plus the tips the employee earns adds up to at least the full minimum wage for each hour worked. If not, the employer has to make up the difference. In Maryland, employers can pay tipped employees an hourly wage of $3.63, as long as the employee’s tips bring the total hourly wage up to the state minimum wage. 

(For more information, see Nolo’s article Tips, Tip Pooling, and Tip Credits.)<br>When am I entitled to earn overtime? 

In Maryland, eligible employees must receive overtime if they work more than 40 hour in a week. Bowling alley employees and residential employees in institutions other than hospitals, who care for people with intellectual disabilities or for the sick, aged, or mentally ill, must receive overtime if they work than 48 hours in a week. For agricultural work, employees must receive overtime if they work more than 60 hours in a week. Not every type of job is eligible for overtime, however. To learn more, see Nolo’s article Overtime Pay: Your Rights as an Employee and contact the Maryland Division of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.<br>Am I entitled to a lunch or rest break? 

Maryland does not require employers to provide lunch or rest breaks. However, you are entitled to be paid if you have to do any work during a break (for example, if you have to cover the phones while you eat lunch). And, generally, you are entitled to be paid for any short breaks (five to 20 minutes) your employer provides; this time is considered part of your work day. 

To learn more about wage and hour laws in Maryland, contact the state Division of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.<br>What are wage and hour laws? 

Wage and hour laws set the basic standards for pay and time worked -- covering issues like minimum wage, tips, overtime, meal and rest breaks, what counts as time worked, when you must be paid, things your employer must pay for, and so on.<br>Where do wage and hour laws come from? 

The federal wage and hour law is called the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Most states also have their own wage and hour laws, and some local governments (like cities and counties) do, too. An employer who is subject to more than one law must follow the law that is most generous to the employee. For example, the federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour, but employers in states that have set a higher minimum wage must pay the higher amount.<br>Finding an employment law attorney 

To locate an employment law attorney in your area, visit Nolo's Lawyer Directory, where you can view information about each lawyer's experience, education, fees, and, perhaps most importantly, the lawyer's general philosophy of practicing law. By using Nolo's directory, you can narrow down candidates before calling them for a phone or face-to-face interview<br> 

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