Frequently Asked Questions About Maryland Wage Laws

While many states have their own regulations about wage and hour laws, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provides protections for employees nationwide in the areas of minimum wage, overtime pay, and more.

Under the FLSA, if you work more than 40 hours a week as a non-exempt employee, you are entitled to overtime pay at a rate equal to or greater than 1.5 times your regular pay.

Not every employee is entitled to overtime pay. Some employees in executive and administrative roles are not required to be paid overtime for more than 40 hours of work per week. The same goes for employees who primarily make sales of their place of business. When determining whether or not an employee is exempt, the employee's salary may be considered as well.

Under Maryland law, it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against you on the basis of gender. This includes gender-based pay discrimination. If you believe that your employer has discriminated against you, you can file a complaint through the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights.

It is important to stay vigilant about wage theft in your workplace so that you get full compensation for your labor. Common forms of wage theft committed by employers include not paying employees overtime wages, forcing employees to skip mandated breaks, making illegal deductions from paychecks, or requiring employees to work off the clock.

If you are not sure if you have suffered wage theft, consider reaching out to one of our employment law attorneys at Melehy & Associates LLC.

Wage theft is illegal at both the state and federal levels. This means you can file a complaint through either the Maryland Department of Labor or the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. When you file a complaint, you should attach documentation supporting your claims, such as pay stubs or correspondence with your HR department.

If a state or federal investigation reveals that your employer committed wage theft, the authorities can help you recover the compensation that you are owed. Sometimes, wage theft claims can be resolved with a settlement. If necessary, however, our attorneys can file a lawsuit against your employer to secure additional compensation for your damages. We are skilled in both negotiation and litigation, and we can adapt our approach to suit your needs.