If you have even one part-time or seasonal employee in Maryland, yes, you almost certainly need workers compensation. Maryland requires coverage from the first covered employee and does not carve out part-time or seasonal staff, so keeping people under a certain number of hours does not keep you under the rule. A part-time cashier, a seasonal crew member, or a weekend helper all count the same as a full-time worker. The one narrow exception is a true casual employee, meaning a one-off, incidental worker, which is not the same as a regular part-timer.
Who this is for: Maryland owners whose team is part-time, seasonal, or a mix, from a shop with a couple of weekend staff to a business that scales up for a busy season.
The short version
- One employee triggers coverage in Maryland, and part-time and seasonal workers count.
- There is no hours minimum, so short shifts do not keep you under the rule.
- A true casual employee, a one-off incidental worker, is the narrow exception.
- Domestic and farm workers have their own separate pay and size tests.
- Your premium is based on payroll, so part-time staff usually cost less to cover than full-timers.
Part-time is not a loophole
Some owners assume that part-time or seasonal help does not count, the way it might for a numeric threshold in another state. Maryland has no general head-count minimum, so the first covered employee triggers coverage no matter how few hours they work. That means a business built entirely on part-timers still needs a policy. What Maryland does exclude is a casual employee, but that term is narrow: it means someone doing incidental, one-off work, not a regular part-timer who comes in every week. Do not confuse a seasonal worker, who counts, with a casual worker, who does not.
Which part-time situations need coverage
| Situation | Coverage required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| One part-time employee, a few hours a week | Yes | No hours minimum in Maryland |
| Seasonal crew for a busy stretch | Yes | Seasonal workers count from the first one |
| A single one-off casual worker | No | A casual employee is the narrow exception |
| Part-time domestic worker in a home | Only over a pay line | Covered at 1,000 dollars cash or more in a calendar quarter from that home |
| Part-time farm labor | Only over a size line | Covered if the farmer has 3 or more full-time workers or a full-time payroll of 15,000 dollars or more |
What part-time staff cost to cover
The good news is that workers comp premium is based on payroll, so part-time staff usually add less to your bill than full-timers doing the same work. You pay based on what you actually pay them, adjusted for the kind of work they do, and an end-of-year audit trues up the premium to your real payroll. That means a business with a small part-time payroll often pays a modest premium, and it is rarely worth the risk of going without. Skipping coverage exposes you to a Commission penalty of up to 25,000 dollars, a possible misdemeanor charge, and a lawsuit from an injured part-timer without your usual defenses.
An Ocean City example
Illustrative, not a quote. An Ocean City retail shop runs mostly on part-time and seasonal staff, adding several cashiers and stock clerks for the summer. The owner assumes part-timers do not need coverage. In Maryland they count from the first one, so the shop needs a policy for the season. Because premium follows payroll, the seasonal crew adds a manageable amount, and when a stock clerk hurts their back lifting boxes, comp pays the medical bills and part of the lost wages instead of the owner. We make sure the retail payroll is rated correctly so the seasonal spike is priced fairly. See our workers comp for retail stores page.
Real questions Maryland owners ask
Do part-time employees need workers comp in Maryland?
Yes, in almost every case. Maryland requires coverage from the first employee and does not carve out part-time staff, so even a single part-timer working a few hours a week triggers the requirement.
Is there an hours minimum before coverage is required?
No. Maryland has no hours minimum and no general head-count minimum, so short shifts do not keep you under the rule. One covered employee, part-time or full-time, is enough to require a policy.
Do seasonal workers count in Maryland?
Yes. Seasonal workers count from the first one, the same as any other employee. A business that scales up for a busy season needs coverage for that crew, even if they only work a few months.
What is a casual employee, and why does it matter?
A casual employee is a one-off, incidental worker, and Maryland does not cover them. It is a narrow exception, and it is not the same as a regular part-timer or a seasonal worker, who do count.
Will part-time staff cost a lot to cover?
Usually not much. Premium is based on payroll, so part-time workers add less than full-timers doing the same job. A year-end audit trues the premium up to what you actually paid.
Do I need coverage for a part-time house cleaner or nanny?
Only over a pay line. A domestic worker in a private home becomes a covered employee once they earn at least 1,000 dollars cash in a calendar quarter from that home; below that you can still choose to cover them.
What if I skip coverage for my part-timers?
You are exposed. Maryland can order you to get covered and pay up to 25,000 dollars, treat the failure as a misdemeanor, and let an injured part-timer sue you without your normal defenses.
Why Maryland owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Maryland you buy workers' comp on the open market from any private insurer licensed in the state, and Maryland also runs a competitive state fund, Chesapeake Employers' Insurance Company, that both competes for ordinary business and must cover eligible employers no one else will take, so we can shop your rate widely and still have a guaranteed fallback for hard-to-place work.
- We catch pricing mistakes. Your price depends heavily on the category your work falls into for pricing (the class code). Put people in the wrong category and you overpay for years. We review your payroll and classifications before you buy.
- Proof of coverage, fast. Need a certificate (proof of coverage) for a general contractor or a landlord before Monday? We turn those around the same business day for most carriers.
- We help lower the score that drives your price. Insurers give you a score based on your past claims that raises or lowers your cost (the experience modification rate). We review it each year, flag errors, and connect you with return-to-work and safety resources that bring it down.
- Real people when a claim happens. When someone gets hurt, we stay involved through the life of the claim, not just at renewal.
Related Maryland guides
Every Maryland business is set up a little differently. These companion guides answer the same question for other situations, plus the national explainers behind the terms used here.
- Business insurance in Maryland (start here)
- Workers comp: the owner's overview
- I own an LLC: do I need workers comp?
- I'm a sole proprietor: do I need workers comp?
- I own a corporation (C-corp or S-corp): do I need it?
- We're a partnership: do we need workers comp?
- We're a nonprofit: do we need workers comp?
- My workers are 1099: do I still need it?
- I only employ family: do I need workers comp?
- Remote or out-of-state staff: do I need coverage?
- What happens if I don't carry workers comp?
- How much does workers comp cost?
- How do I get workers comp (even if turned down)?
- What insurance do I need for a contractor license?
- Workers compensation insurance, explained
- What workers comp costs (national guide)
- Hiring your first employee: what changes
- What workers comp does not cover
- Maryland retail workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Maryland rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.