Title
AN ACT CONCERNING LABOR - MINIMUM WAGE for the purpose of specifying the amount of the County minimum wage rate that is in effect for certain time periods and generally relating to the payment of wages.
Background
The Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA") is the federal law that establishes standards for minimum wages, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor. FLSA requires employers of covered employees who are not otherwise exempt to pay these employees a minimum wage of not less than $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. The Maryland Wage and Hour Law is the State complement to the federal FLSA. State law specifies that an employee must be paid the greater of the federal minimum wage or $6.15 per hour. The State and local governments are considered employees under the Wage and Hour Law. The proposed legislation would increase the minimum wage for employees in the County to $8.75 per hour beginning July 1, 2014, $10.25 per hour beginning July 1, 2015, $11.50 per hour beginning July 1, 2016, and beginning July 1, 2017, the minimum wage shall be adjusted for inflation in accordance with the Consumer Price Index, or the minimum wage pursuant to FLSA, whichever is greater.