As the seasons come and go, we mark time as much by the holidays on our calendars as the changing of the leaves or the sporting season. These legal holidays mark the passing of the year, and help us remember national events and historical figures, while also giving us the odd Monday or Friday out of the office. As it turns out, though, not every national holiday guarantees paid time off. This is a brief summary of legal holidays laws in Maryland.
Holidays in Maryland
Most of us will get the day off for legal holidays like Thanksgiving or Memorial Day, or earn a little extra holiday pay if we choose to work. And each state may have its own particular legal holidays laws, which can recognize additional state holidays. For example, both Maryland Day (for the arrival of the first European settlers in the area) and Defenders Day (commemorating a battle in the War of 1812) are legal holidays in Maryland.
Maryland Legal Holidays Statutes
Maryland’s legal holiday laws are highlighted in the following chart.
| Code Section | Art. 1 §27 |
| Holidays | New Year's Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday; Washington's Birthday; Lincoln's Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Maryland Day; Defenders Day; any day of general or congressional election |
Legal Holidays and Employment
When thinking about holidays, it’s only natural to think about how they work in an employment context. For the most part, Maryland’s wage and hour laws regulate how much we can earn under strict minimum wage and overtime pay statutes. But when it comes to holidays, not all employers are required to give their employees time off for holidays or even pay employees extra for working legal holidays. There is also no federal employment law that requires holiday pay for work performed on legal holidays.
Therefore, private employers in Maryland can compel their employees to work on holidays and pay only the normal wage. Even without a legal requirement, most employers recognize the benefits of a happy work staff, and will voluntarily give employees legal holidays off or provide overtime pay for working on a holiday. How legal holidays are handled at your workplace will generally depend on the specific terms of your employment contract.
Maryland Legal Holidays Laws: Related Resources
Legal holidays can be treated differently by states and private employers. If you would like legal assistance with an employment matter, you can contact an Maryland employment law attorney. You can also visit FindLaw's Employment Law section for more articles and resources on this topic.
