Maryland HR guidance for practitioners.
Pick a topic below to see the federal rule, the MD statute, and the practitioner steps Ask HR AI walks you through in a session.
Maryland at a glance
- Report lookback: 7 years (FCRA default). Maryland follows FCRA. Shielded and expunged records under MD Crim. Proc. Art. §10-301 must be suppressed.
- Ban-the-box: Statewide (15+ employees; Md. Code Lab. & Empl. §5-1301). Criminal-history inquiries are prohibited before the first in-person interview. Baltimore, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County have stronger local rules.
- Salary history: Banned. Md. Code Lab. & Empl. §3-304.2 prohibits salary-history inquiries and requires wage-range disclosure on request.
- Cannabis: Recreational legal (2023); limited employer protections. Question 4 (2022) legalized adult use; employers retain drug-free workplace rights pending Maryland Department of Labor guidance.
Maryland topics
FCRA adverse action in Maryland
The two-step FCRA adverse action process: pre-adverse notice with a copy of the report and Summary of Rights, a reasonable waiting period, and the final adverse action notice.
Read the MD guideBan-the-Box and Fair Chance hiring in Maryland
When employers may ask about criminal history, individualized assessment requirements, and the state and city ordinances that add rules on top of federal EEOC guidance.
Read the MD guideWage and hour in Maryland
FLSA exempt vs non-exempt classification, overtime rules, meal and rest breaks, off-the-clock work, and state daily-overtime rules that overlay the federal floor.
Read the MD guideLeaves and accommodations in Maryland
Coordinating FMLA, ADA reasonable accommodation, workers' comp, pregnancy accommodation, and state paid family and medical leave programs.
Read the MD guideDrug testing and marijuana in Maryland
Pre-employment, reasonable-suspicion, and post-accident drug testing across states with off-duty cannabis protections and safety-sensitive carve-outs.
Read the MD guidePay transparency and pay equity in Maryland
State and city pay range disclosure laws, pay equity analyses, and how to respond to an applicant's compensation question.
Read the MD guideHarassment prevention and training in Maryland
Mandatory sexual harassment training in CA, NY, IL, CT, DE, ME, WA — plus prevention policies, complaint channels, and Faragher/Ellerth defenses.
Read the MD guideBackground check basics for HR in Maryland
What a compliant employment background check includes, FCRA disclosure and authorization, and how to interpret common report components.
Read the MD guideRelated SafestHires resources for Maryland
- Maryland background-check rules — the underlying state-screening reference.
- Maryland FACIS healthcare screening — Medicaid exclusion and licensing boards.
- All states — jump to another state.