Most Maryland jobs are at-will, which means an employer can end employment without giving a reason. That freedom has limits. State and federal laws spell out specific reasons that can never lawfully be behind a firing. Knowing them is usually the first step for anyone researching Wrongful Termination Lawyers Maryland after losing a job. The seven reasons below are the protections workers rely on most, along with the laws behind each one. A list of Annapolis-area law offices you can contact follows.
Which reasons for firing are illegal in Maryland?
1. Can you be fired because of your race, age, disability, or another protected trait?
No. Maryland’s Fair Employment Practices Act (FEPA) prohibits firing someone because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or disability. FEPA’s discrimination rules apply to employers with 15 or more employees, while its harassment rules reach employers with even one employee. Federal law overlaps. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects workers 40 and older, and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, in effect since June 2023, requires reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related limitations.
2. Can your employer fire you for reporting discrimination or harassment?
No. Retaliation is a separate violation under both Title VII and FEPA. It covers firing someone for complaining about discrimination, filing a charge, or taking part in an investigation. The protection holds even if the underlying complaint is never proven, as long as you made it in good faith. A coworker who serves as a witness in an HR investigation is protected too.
3. Can you be fired for taking medical or family leave?
Not when the leave is protected by law. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives eligible employees at companies with 50 or more workers up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave. Smaller employers are covered by the Maryland Parental Leave Act, which gives workers at businesses with 15 to 49 employees up to six weeks of unpaid leave for the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child. The Healthy Working Families Act also requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide paid sick and safe leave, and it bars retaliation for using it.
4. Is it legal to fire someone for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
No. Maryland Labor and Employment Article § 9-1105 prohibits firing an employee solely because they filed a workers’ compensation claim. Employers sometimes point to attendance or performance problems instead. Records of your work history before the injury often decide these cases.
5. Can you be fired for refusing to break the law or reporting safety violations?
No. In Adler v. American Standard Corp. (1981), Maryland’s highest court recognized a claim for firings that violate a clear public policy. Refusing to falsify records or commit fraud falls under that protection. Workers who report unsafe conditions have federal protection under Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, but a retaliation complaint must reach OSHA within 30 days. Maryland health care workers have additional whistleblower protections under state law.
6. Can you lose your job for jury duty, military service, or voting?
No. Maryland law prohibits firing an employee for responding to a jury summons. The federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protects service members’ jobs during and after military duty. Maryland election law also entitles employees to up to two hours of paid leave to vote if they don’t have two consecutive off-duty hours while the polls are open.
7. Can your employer fire you for discussing your pay?
No. Maryland’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act prohibits retaliation against employees who ask about, discuss, or disclose their wages or a coworker’s. Separately, the National Labor Relations Act protects most private-sector, nonsupervisory employees who talk with coworkers about pay and working conditions.
Filing deadlines apply to every one of these claims. A discrimination or retaliation charge in Maryland generally must be filed with the EEOC or the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights within 300 days of the termination.
Which Annapolis-area law offices can you contact?
- The Mundaca Law Firm
- Henley & Henley, Attorneys at Law
- Law Offices of Debra A. Saltz, LLC
- FrizWoods LLC
- Maronick Law LLC
1. The Mundaca Law Firm: Wrongful Termination Lawyers Maryland
The Mundaca Law Firm, led by Francisco E. Mundaca, Esq., Founding Partner, represents Maryland employees from its office in Annapolis. Its employment practice covers the illegal firing reasons described above, including age, disability, and pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation. The firm also reviews severance agreements before employees sign away potential claims. Maryland residents who work for federal agencies can turn to its federal sector employment practice, which handles a process that differs from private-sector claims. Consultations can be scheduled through the firm’s website.
2. Henley & Henley, Attorneys at Law
A law office on West Street in downtown Annapolis. Contact the firm to ask whether it handles employment cases.
3. Law Offices of Debra A. Saltz, LLC
A law practice on Chesapeake Avenue in Annapolis. Reach out directly to learn which matters it currently accepts.
4. FrizWoods LLC
A law firm with an office on Ritchie Highway in Severna Park. Ask about its practice areas before booking a meeting.
5. Maronick Law LLC
A multi-attorney firm based in Glen Burnie. Check with the office on whether your situation fits its practice.
What should you do if one of these reasons applies to you?
An illegal firing rarely comes with an honest explanation, so evidence matters more than the reason you were given. Save emails, performance reviews, leave requests, and any written complaints you made before you lose access to work accounts. Note the date of every key event, because agency deadlines start running at termination. When you meet with Wrongful Termination Lawyers Maryland workers can consult, bring those records along with any severance offer you received. Many severance agreements include a release of claims, so have yours reviewed before you sign.
