Getting Paid When A Job Ends
Lab. & Empl. § 3-505 and § 3-507.2 — the next regular payday, and up to 3 times the wage withheld
By the next regular payday. When employment in Maryland ends, the employer pays all wages due for work already performed on or before the day the employee would have been paid them had the job continued.
Accrued leave is owed too, unless the employer has a written policy limiting payment for it, told the employee about its leave benefits, and the policy does not entitle the employee to payment on leaving.
Up to 3 times the wage. Once 2 weeks have passed since the wages were due, the employee may sue for them. If the court finds the employer withheld them without a bona fide dispute, it may award up to 3 times the wage, plus reasonable counsel fees and costs.
On a construction project, the general contractor is jointly liable for a subcontractor's wage violation, whether or not the two have a direct contract.
Sources for this section (2)
- Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-505 — Wages on termination of employment
- Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. § 3-507.2 — Action for unpaid wages
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maryland attorney.