Maryland break, overtime and sick leave rules

Meal and rest breaks, overtime and paid sick leave in Maryland, in plain words. Last reviewed October 31, 2026. Not legal advice.

The rules in Maryland#

Meal breaks: No general meal break rule for adults. Narrow exception: retail employers with 50 or more retail employees must give a 15‑minute break for 4 to 6 consecutive hours, a 30‑minute break for more than 6 hours, and an extra 15 minutes for each additional 4 hours beyond 8.
Rest breaks: No general paid rest break rule for adults.
Overtime: 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek. No daily overtime, double time or seventh‑day rule.
Paid sick leave: Leave accrues at 1 hour per 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year, with total accrued leave capped at 64 hours. Employers with 15 or more employees must provide paid leave; smaller employers must provide unpaid leave.

Oh! Thyme runs a company in Maryland on the federal rules. On every shift it checks:

Overtime after 40 hours in a workweek, worked out week by week
Every punch and break, to the minute
Sick leave balances build from approved hours at the rate set for each person, such as 1 hour per 30 worked, stop at their cap, and come down when time off is approved.