The Maryland Healthy Working Families Act now requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide paid sick and safe leave for certain employees. Employers with 14 or less employees must provide unpaid sick and safe leave for certain employees. Up to this point, Maryland Employers have not been required to offer earned paid or unpaid sick leave. The governor actually vetoed this bill, but it was overridden and passed anyway. Employees can now earn sick and safe leave in Maryland. Beginning February 11th, 2018 or whenever an employee starts a job after that date, an employee begins to collect sick and safe leave. At least one hour is earned for every 30 hours an employee works, but no Read More
Category Archives: News
Are You a Landlord in Baltimore? Listen Up! Big Changes Could Be Coming
Price and Keir assists numerous landlords and tenants in a variety of real estate issues. A new bill could require more inspections for Baltimore City landlords. This would be the most significant update to rental housing regulations in Baltimore City since they were written half a century ago in 1966. The bill calls for licensing and inspecting ALL residential properties in Baltimore, not just larger buildings with three or more units, as is currently required. This means one and two unit rental properties will now require mandatory inspections. Currently, those properties only get inspected when tenants complain of violations. The goal is to improve overall rental quality in Baltimore by taking a more proactive approach, so Baltimore will follow some Read More
New Year’s Resolution Promo!
It’s that time of year again for that annual tradition – The New Year’s Resolution. Whether yours is losing weight, quitting smoking, or paying down debt, resolutions typically involve subjects that are unpleasant and sometimes difficult to achieve. In our practice, the most common unpleasant topic that is delayed involves estate planning. Who really wants to discuss guardianship issues of young children in the event of a catastrophic car crash? Or end-of-life issues if one person becomes seriously ill or incapacitated? At Price & Keir, we try to make the process as easy as possible. We have developed a detailed estate planning questionnaire that navigates our clients through the most common issues for persons contemplating an estate plan. The questionnaire not Read More
Does Your Company Have a Sexual Misconduct Policy?
There is no time like the present for companies to review their sexual misconduct policies. The first step in such a review is to take a look at your employee handbook (assuming your company has one). In the handbook, among other things such as vacation and sick time procedures, your company’s sexual misconduct policies and reporting procedures should be clearly explained. It simply isn’t enough for an employer to have a blanket policy prohibiting sexual misconduct in the workplace (which should be a given). You must also have clear procedures for handling workplace harassment claims. What should be included in your policy? -How sexual harassment would be handled within the company. For example, a confidential investigation, no retaliation on the Read More
So You Want to Become a Lyft Driver in Traverse City…
What Tax and Legal Issues Should You Be Aware of? ARE YOU QUALIFIED? Lyft’s website says they are hiring drivers all across Michigan. Applicants need to be: -at least 21 years old -pass a background and DMV check -own a smart phone -have a 2005 or newer vehicle with four doors and 5-8 seats -possess a valid driver’s license, registration and insurance. Applications are being accepted online. YOU WILL BE AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR Lyft drivers are independent contractors, not employees of Lyft. So, as a driver, you are considered to be self-employed; you own a separate “business” that Lyft uses to provide driving services. When you get paid, it is not like a traditional paycheck; taxes have not been taken Read More