While much of the recent Maryland Legislative session was consumed with the coronavirus crisis, several pro-employee bills were passed. These bills address race discrimination, sex discrimination, pay equity, and wage transparency. All will become effective October 1, 2020 without the signature of Governor Hogan, who declined to hold any bill signing ceremonies this month. The…MORE
Author:
A recent Supreme Court decision in Babb v. Wilkie has eased the burden of proof for federal employees to prove discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”). Getting relief is still challenging for employees no matter where they work, nonetheless, with a contracting economy, an uptick of age discrimination claims is expected in…MORE
Author:
Beginning on February 29, 2020, all Maryland employers with fifteen or more employees must comply with the new ban the box law unless they fall within an exemption. But, what is “ban the box”? “Ban the Box” is a term that refers to laws which control when in the hiring process you can ask an…MORE
Author:
Now that Maryland is beginning to relax its shelter in place order and other local jurisdictions will likely follow suit, business owners need to begin planning for re-opening so that it can be done in a safe and effective way. Over the next few weeks, we will be publishing a series of articles that…MORE
Author:
Effective as of May 15, 2020, at 5 p.m., Governor Hogan has amended Maryland’s COVID-19 “Stay at Home Order” to ease certain restrictions on businesses and gatherings and to allow for the re-opening of certain businesses. This article discusses Order No. 20-05-13-01. A link to the complete Order appears at the end of this article. …MORE
Author:
The state legislature is betting the answer for Maryland companies and nonprofits is “yes” and has modified the state’s tax law to require gender representation data to be reported by most companies and larger non-profits on annual business tax returns. Citing a long list of corporate reports, the legislation concludes that the state has a…MORE
Author:
Many leases for retail spaces, including restaurants, include terms that require the tenant to pay to the landlord a percentage of profits earned from gross sales. This “percentage rent” payment is over and above the monthly base rent, operating costs and taxes that the tenant also pays the landlord under the lease. For retail or…MORE
Author:
Our clients have generally recognized that providing an employee with a salary is not enough to exempt that employee from overtime. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) established the forty (40) hour week, minimum wage, overtime and what jobs were exempt from these requirements. The administrative exemption to FSLA requirements permit an employer to classify…MORE
Author:
One important consideration for landlords and tenants in commercial lease negotiations in Maryland is whether to demand a tenant’s exclusive use clause (if you are the tenant) or when to extend that right to your tenants (if you are a landlord). An exclusive use clause grants the tenant the right to prevent the landlord from…MORE
Author:
Groups of workers just became eligible for overtime pay following the adoption of new regulations by the Department of Labor. It is estimated that 1.4 million additional workers will now be in line to receive overtime compensation. Effective as of January 1, 2020, the base salary level at which administrative, executive and professional employees can…MORE
Author: