Maryland Employers: Worker Freedom Act in Effect

As we previously reported, as of October 1, 2026, Maryland employers are bound by the Worker Freedom Act. Now that the Act has gone into effect, here are some reminders: The Act applies to “captive-audience” meetings.

Under the Act, Maryland employers may not “discharge, discipline, penalize, threaten, or otherwise retaliate against employees who refuse to attend, participate in, or listen to mandatory meetings where an employer expresses a political or religious opinion.”

Political and religious subjects may include references to elections; political parties; proposed changes in legislation; decisions to join a political, civic, community, or labor organization; religious beliefs; and decisions to join a religious organization. Employees can leave any meeting, regardless of the meeting’s purpose or its subject, where these opinions are expressed. The protections also apply to job applicants (employers cannot refuse to hire an applicant for declining to attend a meeting).

The state Commission of Labor and Industry may investigate violations and may impose fines from $10,000 to $25,000 and other remedies, including reinstatement, back pay, and attorney’s fees.

The Act provides exceptions to the rule. Employers may still communicate legally required information and information necessary for employees to perform their jobs (such as workplace policies, compliance rules, and laws and regulations impacting an employee’s responsibilities). Some employers are wholly exempt, such as religious employers and higher education institutions where professors and students must attend lectures on political and religious matters as part of the program.

Employers should expect the state to issue an official workplace poster in early November that they must display. Experts anticipate legal challenges on First Amendment grounds and preemption under NLRA. Until a court decides any challenges, the Worker Freedom Act is in effect.