--- title: "Benefits for Servers in Maryland" description: "Maryland’s paid leave program isn’t paying yet: contributions start January 1, 2027. Sick leave, a wider state EITC, and premium help apply now." url: https://www.tipmaxapp.com/us/answers/maryland/benefits language: en publisher: TipMax (Entermaurs Incorporated) date_published: 2026-09-23 last_verified: 2026-09-23 --- # What benefits can servers get in Maryland? **Short answer:** **Paid family leave isn’t here yet.** Maryland’s FAMLI program starts contributions on January 1, 2027, and claims sometime between then and January 3, 2028. Today you have earned sick and safe leave at 1 hour per 30 worked, a state EITC worth up to $4,000 that also covers ITIN filers and childless adults 18 to 24, and state premium help on Maryland Health Connection. ## The rules in Maryland | Rule | What it says | | --- | --- | | FAMLI (paid family and medical leave) | Up to 12 weeks of benefits for family care or bonding, your own serious health condition, or a family member’s military deployment. Contributions begin January 1, 2027; benefit claims begin on a date the Secretary of Labor sets between January 1, 2027 and January 3, 2028. | | FAMLI weekly benefit | Based on your average weekly wage, from $50 to $1,000 a week; the maximum isn’t indexed to inflation until January 1, 2029. Employers may withhold up to half of the contribution from your pay. | | Earned sick and safe leave | At least 1 hour per 30 worked, up to 40 hours earned a year. Paid at employers with 15 or more employees, unpaid below that. Usable after your first 106 days. Doesn’t apply if you regularly work under 12 hours a week for the employer. | | Sick pay for tipped workers | Your employer doesn’t have to pay a tipped employee more than the applicable minimum wage for sick and safe leave. | | Maryland EITC | Up to $4,000. Everyone who qualifies for the federal EITC qualifies, plus ITIN filers and childless adults 18 to 24. Without a qualifying child, it can equal the full federal credit, up to $649. File a Maryland return to claim it. | | Maryland Premium Assistance, 2026 | Through Maryland Health Connection, the state replaces 100% of the lost enhanced federal premium credits below 200% of the poverty level, phasing to 50% up to 400%. | | Young adult subsidy | Extra state premium help for ages 18 to 37 with income between 138% and 400% of the poverty level. | > “In calendar 2026, the Maryland Premium Assistance program will replace 100% of eAPTCs for those with incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL), phase subsidies from 100% down to 50% for those with incomes between 200% and 250% FPL and replace 50% of eAPTCs for those with incomes between 250% to 400% FPL.” (Maryland Department of Legislative Services: SB 987 fiscal and policy note (2026), health insurance subsidies, https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/fnotes/bil_0007/sb0987.pdf) ## What’s different in Maryland Maryland passed paid family leave in 2022, and the start has moved back three times. Don’t count on FAMLI benefits for a leave in 2026; the law now sets contributions for 2027 and leaves the first claim date to the Secretary of Labor. The sick leave law has a line written for tipped staff: your employer only owes the minimum wage for those hours, not your tip average. On the plus side, the state EITC reaches 18- to 24-year-olds with no kids, who get nothing federally, and the state premium program covers younger workers with an extra discount. Plus the federal programs. ## Official sources - [Maryland Department of Legislative Services: HB 102 fiscal and policy note (2025), FAMLI revisions](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/fnotes/bil_0002/hb0102.pdf) - [Maryland Department of Legislative Services: Maryland Department of Labor FY 2027 budget analysis](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/pubs/budgetfiscal/2027fy-budget-docs-operating-P00-Maryland-Department-of-Labor.pdf) - [Maryland Code, Labor and Employment § 3-1304 (earned sick and safe leave)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gle§ion=3-1304&enactments=false) - [Maryland Code, Labor and Employment § 3-1303 (who is covered)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gle§ion=3-1303&enactments=false) - [Comptroller of Maryland: Earned Income Tax Credit](https://www.marylandcomptroller.gov/earnedit.html) - [Comptroller of Maryland: 2025 Earned Income Tax Credit memo](https://www.marylandcomptroller.gov/content/dam/mdcomp/md/state-payroll/memos/2025/2025-earned-income-tax-credit.pdf) - [Maryland Department of Legislative Services: SB 987 fiscal and policy note (2026), health insurance subsidies](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/fnotes/bil_0007/sb0987.pdf) ## Last verified September 23, 2026. Checked the agency pages linked above. **Still open:** The Maryland Department of Labor and Maryland Health Connection sites blocked our fetch on 2026-09-23, so these rows come from the state code and Department of Legislative Services analyses. The FAMLI claim start date hadn’t been announced in those documents. ## About TipMax Maryland sick leave builds at 1 hour per 30 worked, and a log of your hours lets you check the balance your employer shows. TipMax is an iPhone app for servers and bartenders that tracks tips and tip-outs and turns a restaurant menu into study flashcards. Download TipMax free: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tipmax-study-track-earn/id6744850146 --- TipMax Answers explains public government guidance on pay and workplace rules in plain English for tipped workers. It is **not legal, tax, or accounting advice**. Rules change and local rules can add to them. Confirm with the agency linked on this page or a qualified professional. TipMax the app helps you track tips and pay; it doesn’t enforce wage law or decide disputes.