Maryland (MD) Sexual Discrimination in the Workplace

August 31st, 2006 Posted by Hannah

Maryland sexual discrimination in the workplace is outlined in Maryland State Code.  In Maryland, employers are prohibited from discriminating against their employees on the basis of sex.  According to state law, “employers” are those who have fifteen or more employers (the same as federal law) except for private membership clubs.  “Employees” under state law are those individuals who are employed by employers (as defined above) except for people elected to public office.

Under state law, employers cannot hire, refuse to hire, fire or determine employment conditions such as terms and compensation because of an individual’s sex. Furthermore, employers must treat pregnancy, childbirth and pregnancy-related conditions as they would any other temporary disability.

If you think you’ve been discriminated against by your employer, you can file a complaint with the Maryland Commission on Human Relations.  You’ll be asked to fill out a questionnaire as well as provide the commission with a signed, written complaint within six months of the alleged discriminatory act. 

An investigator will then gather information relevant to your case to determine if there is reasonable cause to believe that your rights have been violated, you and your employer will enter a conciliation phase to try to negotiate a settlement.

If you decide you don’t want to go through the Maryland Commission, you can file your complaint through federal law as well.  You can contact the  Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and either go through their investigative process or you can request a “Right to Sue” letter so that you can take your complaint through the court system.

While this gives brief overview of Maryland sexual discrimination law in the workplace, it’s up to employers and employees to stay informed of the full law.  Employers can help with this process by posting a Maryland Complete Labor Law Poster in the workplace.

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