Small-business owner warns FAMLI implementation could burden local employers
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Summary
An HR consultant told commissioners the Maryland Family Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program will impose tracking and withholding requirements that may be difficult for small employers to administer and urged the county to convey local concerns to state leaders.
Janelle Gardner, founder of JAG Consulting, told the commissioners she supports the goals of the Maryland Family Medical Leave Insurance program but said its implementation will create administrative burdens for small businesses.
Gardner said the program will require "every employer, even those with a single Maryland employee, to track, withhold, remit contributions to a new state fund." She told the board the contributions begin in 2027 with benefits available in 2028 and said employers with fewer than 15 employees will still need to withhold an employee portion while larger employers will share contributions. Gardner warned that compliance costs could slow hiring and delay wage growth for small firms that lack dedicated HR staff.
Gardner said she raise these points "not in opposition of the goals of the family program, but in concern for how it's being implemented," and urged commissioners to share the county's local perspective with state leaders and to call for a full review or repeal of the program's current structure.
The transcript captures Gardner's description of the program timeline and employer responsibilities but does not include any formal motion or county action in response.
