Paid Sick Leave Laws – What you Need to Know

By Laura Pokrzywa, Human Resources Consultant

In 2011, Connecticut became the first state to enact a law requiring private employers to offer paid sick leave to their employees. Since then, dozens of paid sick leave laws have popped up in more than 25 states and municipalities around the country. With so many states enacting new laws or expanding existing ones, compliance gets more complicated each year, especially for multi-jurisdictional employers.

We have prepared the following guide to help you stay on top of specific requirements in the jurisdictions where your organization employs workers.

Benefits Vary by State

Each state that requires paid sick leave has its own unique law with varying provisions. For example, many states allow employees to use the time for reasons other than simply calling off due to an illness or injury. These reasons might include absences related to annual medical wellness visits; care for family members; seeking help for victims of domestic violence, sexual assaults, or stalking; or absences necessitated by a public health emergency, including school or daycare closures.

These laws also establish varying rules regarding employee eligibility, accrual rates, waiting periods for use of accrued time, carryover of unused time, documentation requirements, etc.

States with Paid Sick Leave Laws

To date, the following states and the District of Columbia have enacted paid sick leave laws. Employers with employees in any of these states should familiarize themselves with their state’s requirements to ensure full compliance. This list provided a quick look at some key provisions. For more information about each state’s requirements, click on the state name.

1. Alaska: Became effective July 1, 2025. Small employers (less than 15 employees) must provide 40 hours/year. Larger employers must provide up to 56 hours/year.
2. Arizona: All private employers are covered. Small employers (less than 15 employees) must provide 24 hours/year. Larger employers must provide up to 40 hours/year.
3. California: In addition to the statewide requirements applicable to almost all employers (up to 40 hours/year), multiple municipalities within the state have also implemented their own paid sick leave requirements including Berkeley, Emeryville, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood.
4. Colorado: Most private employers must provide up to 48 hours/year.
5. Connecticut: As of Jan. 1, 2025, this law requiring up to 40 hours/year covers employers with 25 or more employees. By Jan. 2027, it will cover all employers.
6. Illinois: One statewide law requires employers who already offer paid sick leave to allow employees to use their leave to care for family members. Another statewide law, Paid Leave for All Workers Act (PLAWA), was effective in 2024. PLAWA is not limited to paid sick time but requires up to 40 hours/year of leave for any reason. Cook County and the City of Chicago also have paid time off requirements that are similar to PLAWA, but Chicago requires an additional 40 hours/year of paid sick time.
7. Maine: Most private employers with 10 or more employees must provide up to 40 hours/year. Paid leave is not limited to sick time but must be allowed for any reason.
8. Maryland: The statewide law requires all employers to provide either paid or unpaid leave, depending on the number of employees. In addition, Montgomery County also has a sick and safe leave law with slightly different provisions.
9. Massachusetts: Most private employers must provide either paid or unpaid sick leave, depending on the number of employees.
10. Michigan: Following much legal wrangling, the law became effective Feb. 2025 for employers with 10 or more employees. As of Oct. 2025, coverage expands to include employers with less than 10 employees. Employers with less than 10 employees are required to provide 40 hours/year. Larger employers must provide up to 72 hours/year.
11. Minnesota: The statewide law requires all employers to provide up to 48 hours/year. In addition, the cities of Bloomington, Minneapolis, and St. Paul have ordinances that require accrual of paid sick time for time worked within city limits.
12. Missouri: The law went into effect on May 1, 2025 for private employers. However, it was repealed by the state Senate on May 14, 2025. Assuming the Governor signs the bill repealing it, it will remain in effect only until August 28, 2025.
13. Nebraska: Becoming effective on Oct. 1, 2025 for all private employers. Small employers (less than 20 employees) must provide 40 hours/year. Larger employers must provide up to 56 hours/year.
14. Nevada: Private sector employers with 50 or more employees in Nevada must provide up to 40 hours/year. Paid leave is not limited to sick time but must be allowed for any reason.
15. New Jersey: All private employers are covered as well as public employers not already required to provide paid sick leave. Up to 40 hour/year can be accrued.
16. New Mexico: The statewide law requires all private employers up to 64 hours/year of paid sick leave. In addition, Bernalillo County requires employers within the county to provide paid leave for any reason.
17. New York: The statewide law requires all employers to provide paid or unpaid sick leave, depending on the number of employees. In addition, New York City and Westchester County have individual laws covering employers in those jurisdictions.
18. Oregon: Employers with 10 or more employees (6 or more if you have a location in Portland) are covered by varying requirements based on employee count and locations.
19. Rhode Island: Private employers with 18 or more employees must provide up to 40 hours/year.
20. Vermont: Most employers in the state must provide up to 40 hours/year.
21. Virginia: This law only covers home health workers (up to 40 hours/year).
22. Washington: Most employers are covered by the statewide law which does not cap accruals or annual usage but does allow a 40-hour cap for carryovers with all other unused time paid out. In addition, the cities of Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma have enacted unique requirements.
23. Washington, D.C.: Requirements vary widely based on the number of employees.

Paid sick leave laws have also been enacted in many municipalities or counties in states where no statewide law exists. Pennsylvania, for example, does not have a statewide law. However, paid sick time is required for employers in Allegheny County (for private employers with 26 or more employees) and the cities of Pittsburgh (for private employers with any employees within the city) and Philadelphia (for private employers with 10 or more employees in the city). New Orleans has a sick leave law that applies only to employers that have covered contracts with or receive funding from the City.

Other states or municipalities have related laws. Georgia, for example, has a “Kin Care Law” which does not require employers to provide paid sick time; but, if they already offer paid sick time, the law requires certain employers to allow employees to use that paid sick time to care for family members.

What if We Have Employees in Several States?

Because of the varying requirements of these laws, compliance is especially complicated for employers with workers in more than one of these states or municipalities. Some employers have endeavored to adopt a single, all-encompassing paid time off (PTO) policy designed to satisfy all the most generous requirements of each applicable state. However, depending on where their employees are located, this approach can result in a policy that is overly generous in certain jurisdictions.

Other employers implement a general PTO or paid sick leave policy that satisfies the requirements of the state in which most of their employees work and then provide supplemental state-specific policies to address any additional requirements for employees in other states.

Tips for Employers

1. Review Your Policies: Ensure your employee handbook reflects up-to-date state requirements. Your policy should clearly state eligibility and accrual details.
2. Track Leave Accurately: Invest in time-tracking or HR software to monitor accrued and used sick leave for each employee.
3. Train Supervisors/Managers: Your leaders should be able to answer employee questions and handle requests appropriately.
4. Post Required Notices: Most states require posting of sick leave rights in the workplace. Check your state’s Department of Labor website for templates. The links above may help.
5. Prepare for Audits: Keep accurate records of sick leave accruals, usage, and balances for each employee in case of complaints or state audits.

Need Help?

If you are an employer with questions about paid sick leave requirements for your employees, or if you have questions about any HR issue, contact our Risk Management Division by phone at 855-873-0374 or by email at . We will be happy to help!

Disclaimer: This information is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. This article does not create an attorney-client relationship between Keystone’s Risk Management Division and the reader.