Maryland employers must display roughly a dozen state and federal labor law posters in a location where employees can easily see them. The required set covers the $15.00 state minimum wage, workplace safety, unemployment benefits, workers’ compensation, equal pay, sick and safe leave, and federal protections against discrimination and interference with family, medical, and military leave. State and federal obligations overlap but are enforced separately, so most Maryland businesses need both sets posted together.
Maryland State Posters You Need
Each of the state posters below is available free from the Maryland Department of Labor or the relevant state agency. All of them belong in the same conspicuous spot.
Minimum Wage and Overtime Law
This poster summarizes wage and overtime rules. As of 2026, Maryland’s minimum wage is $15.00 per hour for all employers regardless of size.1Maryland Department of Labor. Maryland Minimum Wage and Overtime Law State law requires every employer to keep a summary of the law posted conspicuously in each place of employment, and the Commissioner provides the summary free on request.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 3-423 – Copies and Posting of Law
Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH)
The MOSH poster informs workers of their right to a safe workplace and how to report hazards. Under COMAR 09.12.20.02, the notice must go up in each establishment where employee notices are customarily posted.3Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 09.12.20.02 – Posting Notice and Copies of the Act
Unemployment Insurance
Every employer must post printed statements about unemployment insurance in places readily accessible to workers. The notice covers the right to file a claim, how to apply for benefits, and the right of some employees to continue health insurance after separation.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 8-603 – Information for Employees The Secretary of Labor provides these statements at no cost.
Workers’ Compensation (Form C-24)
Form C-24 explains how injured workers can seek medical benefits and file a claim through the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission.5Maryland Department of Labor. Employment Related Posters and Notices Unlike most posters, this one is not ready to hang straight off the printer. You have to fill in company-specific information, including the name of your workers’ compensation carrier, before posting. Skipping that step leaves the poster incomplete and useless to an employee who actually gets hurt.
Equal Pay for Equal Work
Maryland’s Equal Pay poster covers wage discrimination based on sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, and religious beliefs.6Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 3-304.2 The law also prohibits retaliation against applicants or employees who request wage range information or exercise other rights under the statute.
Earned Sick and Safe Leave
Under the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act, employers with 15 or more employees must provide paid sick and safe leave; employers with 14 or fewer must provide unpaid sick and safe leave.7Maryland Department of Labor. Maryland Earned Sick and Safe Leave Employee Notice The posting requirement applies to all covered employers, not only those offering paid leave. The notice explains how leave accrues, when it can be used, and what qualifies as a “safe” leave reason such as domestic violence or stalking.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 3-1304 – Requirements; Calculation of Leave
Federal Posters You Need
Federal requirements apply on top of Maryland’s. Any Maryland employer covered by these laws must post them alongside the state notices.
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Every employer subject to the FLSA’s minimum wage provisions must post a notice explaining the Act where employees can easily read it.9U.S. Department of Labor. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Minimum Wage Poster It covers the federal minimum wage, overtime, and child labor restrictions. Maryland’s $15.00 rate is what you actually pay, but the federal poster is still required.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Employers covered by the FMLA must post a notice describing employees’ rights to job-protected unpaid leave for qualifying family and medical reasons. Federal law requires the notice to be posted conspicuously where employee notices are customarily placed.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 2619 – Notice
EEOC “Know Your Rights”
The EEOC’s “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” poster is required for employers with 15 or more employees, or 20 or more for age discrimination coverage. It summarizes federal prohibitions on job discrimination based on race, color, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, transgender status, national origin, religion, age, disability, and genetic information, and it covers retaliation and how to file a charge.11U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” Poster The 2023 update added information about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations for limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Make sure the copy on your wall is the 2023 or later version.
Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)
The EPPA prohibits most private employers from using lie detector tests for pre-employment screening or during employment. The poster must be displayed in a prominent location visible to both employees and job applicants and outlines the limited exemptions and how to file a complaint with the Wage and Hour Division.12U.S. Department of Labor. Workplace Posters
USERRA
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act protects employees who leave civilian jobs for military service. Employers can satisfy the notice requirement by posting “Your Rights Under USERRA” where employee notices are customarily placed. USERRA is unusual in that it also permits distribution by hand, mail, or email in place of physical posting.13U.S. Department of Labor. Your Rights Under USERRA Poster
Where to Get the Posters
Every required poster is available free from the agency that enforces it. Maryland state posters can be downloaded from the Maryland Department of Labor’s employment publications page.5Maryland Department of Labor. Employment Related Posters and Notices Federal posters are available from the U.S. Department of Labor’s workplace posters page and the EEOC’s site.12U.S. Department of Labor. Workplace Posters Commercial “all-in-one” poster products are not legally required, though some businesses find them convenient. If you use one, verify each poster’s revision date before hanging it. And remember Workers’ Comp Form C-24 needs your carrier information filled in first.
Where and How to Display Them
The general rule under both state and federal law is that posters go in a conspicuous location where employees customarily see notices. Break rooms, areas near time clocks, and common hallways all work. A worker should encounter these notices during a normal workday without having to hunt for them.
Size and Legibility
Most posters have no size requirement, but the federal OSHA “Job Safety and Health” poster must be at least 8½ by 14 inches with 10-point type.14U.S. Department of Labor. Posters – Frequently Asked Questions Beyond that, the standard is simply “easily readable.” A faded, torn, or partially covered poster can put you out of compliance even if something is technically on the wall.
Multiple Locations and Dispersed Workers
Maryland’s MOSH regulation addresses workforces that don’t fit into a single building. If you run distinct operations at a single physical address, each operation needs its own posted notice. For employees who work at scattered sites, post at the location they report to each day. For workers who don’t report to any fixed site, post at the location from which they operate.3Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 09.12.20.02 – Posting Notice and Copies of the Act
Remote Workers
Maryland has not issued comprehensive guidance on electronic posting for remote employees. Federal guidance suggests electronic distribution may satisfy posting requirements when all employees work exclusively from remote locations, electronic communication is the standard method for sharing workplace information, and employees can access the notices without barriers at any time. If you have a mix of on-site and remote staff, keep physical posters at the office and distribute digital copies to remote workers by email or intranet.
Language Requirements
Most federal posters are only required in English. The FMLA notice, however, must be provided in a language employees can read if a significant portion of the workforce is not literate in English.14U.S. Department of Labor. Posters – Frequently Asked Questions The Department of Labor makes Spanish-language versions of many posters available and encourages non-English posting when the workforce warrants it. The EEOC offers translated versions on its website without a formal foreign-language posting mandate. If your Maryland workplace has a substantial number of employees who primarily speak Spanish or another language, posting translated versions is a low-cost way to reduce legal exposure and make sure workers actually learn what their rights are.
Penalties for Not Posting
- OSHA poster: the federal penalty for failing to post the Job Safety and Health notice is up to $16,550 per violation as of the most recent adjustment.15Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA Penalties
- FMLA poster: an employer that willfully fails to post the FMLA notice can be assessed a civil penalty of up to $100 per separate offense, subject to inflation adjustments.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 2619 – Notice
- EEOC poster: the EEOC can impose penalties for failure to display the “Know Your Rights” poster, which covered employers are legally required to post.11U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” Poster
- Maryland state posters: enforcement can include civil penalties assessed by the Commissioner, with specific amounts varying by statute.
Beyond the direct fines, a missing poster can weaken your position if an employee later files a wage claim or discrimination complaint. Defenses that depend on the employee having been informed of deadlines, procedures, or rights get harder to run when the required notice was never posted.
Keeping Posters Current
Poster requirements change when laws change. Maryland’s minimum wage has moved several times in recent years, and each increase means a new poster. Federal changes are less frequent but higher-stakes, as with the 2023 EEOC update. Check the Maryland Department of Labor’s poster page and the U.S. Department of Labor’s workplace posters page at least once a year, ideally at the start of the calendar year when new wage rates and adjusted penalty amounts typically take effect.5Maryland Department of Labor. Employment Related Posters and Notices Replacing a faded or outdated poster takes five minutes.