On March 31, the Maryland Senate approved the “Time to Care Act,” which will provide paid family leave to employees of businesses with 15 or more employees. The bill now goes to Governor Hogan, where it may be vetoed. However, the General Assembly passed the law with enough time to override a veto, should the Governor choose to do so.
The Time to Care Act offers employees 12 weeks of partially paid family leave each year to care for themselves or a family member with a serious health condition, as defined in the federal FMLA. If leave is taken for the birth or adoption of a child, employees can get up to 24 weeks of paid leave.
To be eligible for the paid leave, an employee must have worked at least 680 hours in the 12 month period immediately preceding the commencement of their leave. Depending upon the employee’s pay, they will receive between $50 and $1,000 per week during their leave. The pay is funded through an insurance program to which both employers and employees contribute. The amount of the contribution will be determined by an analysis conducted every two years by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. The first study will be conducted in December 2022.
Employers and employees will begin contributing to the program in October 2023. Employees can claim benefits in January 2025.