Wage Payment and Collection Law sets forth the rights by which employees receive wages. The law states
when and how often employees must be paid, general guidelines for making
wage deductions, which actions are prohibited and how employees may enforce their rights.
Wage and Hour Law concerns minimum wage and overtime. The
law specifies which categories of employers and employees are
exempt, and provides enforcement powers and remedies. The Maryland
Wage and Hour Law is similar to the federal Fair Labor Standards
Act (FLSA), but contains some important differences. In every
case, workers and employers are advised to contact the
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, at 410-962-6211,
to assure compliance under the federal law. Where either state
or federal law is more stringent, the higher standard applies.
* In the case of both Maryland laws, the age of a minor or the immigration status of an alien have no
bearing on a worker's rights to receive earned wages which each provide.
* Federal, state and local governments are exempt from the provisions of both the Wage Payment and
Collection Law and the Wage and Hour Law, but they must comply with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.