Maryland is an at-will employment state, but terminations cannot violate anti-discrimination laws, public policy, or retaliate against protected activity — such as wage complaints, reporting child abuse, or taking MHWFA leave.

Under the Maryland Wage Payment and Collection Law, terminated employees must receive all wages owed on or before their next regular payday. Accrued, unused vacation/PTO must also be paid out upon termination, unless the center’s written policy explicitly stated in advance that unused leave is forfeited upon separation.

Best practice: implement progressive discipline documentation with objective performance milestones, conduct neutral exit interviews, and ensure clear written PTO forfeiture policies are signed during onboarding.