Bill Positions

Bill Number: SB 344

Bill Title: The Flexible Leave Act

Bill Sponsor(s): Senators Garagiola, et al.

Subject: Employer Relations

Committee: FIN

Bill Summary: Authorizing employees of specified employers to use leave with pay for the illness of the employee's immediate family; providing that an employee may only use leave with pay that has been earned; providing that an employee who earns more than one type of leave with pay may elect the type and amount of leave with pay to be used; etc.

History: Senator Gargiola introduced this bill last year - 2007. It failed in the Senate Finance Committee.

Chamber Position: Oppose

Position Summary: The breadth of this Bill's application was extensive. It would have set a floor for employers who have existing paid leave policies. This legislation would have vested exclusive control of the use of paid leave with the employee, whereas under the FMLA both the employer and the employee have joint control over how paid leave is used. Further, this Bill would have likely increased the number of disputes between employees and their employers, which is unnecessary as employers typically accommodate employee leave requests to retain them on their employment team. For these reasons, the Maryland Chamber opposed this legislation.

Position Statement: Click here to download a pdf version of the Maryland Chamber's position statement.

Chamber Staff: Allyson Black

General Assembly: Click here to view the bill on the Maryland General Assembly's website.