Paid Sick Leave Laws by State
There’s no federal paid sick leave law covering private-sector employees. What you’re entitled to depends entirely on where you work, and the landscape has shifted significantly in just the past two years. As of 2026, 21 states and Washington D.C. have mandatory paid sick leave or paid leave laws in effect, with two states added as recently as 2025. If you’re an employee who was denied leave, or an employer trying to stay compliant, the details in your state matter far more than the general trend.
What Are Paid Sick Leave Laws?
Paid sick leave laws require employers to let employees accrue paid time off for illness, medical appointments, and in most states, care for a family member. They’re distinct from the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for qualifying serious health conditions. FMLA doesn’t require a single paid day; state laws fill that gap, and only where the state has acted.
State laws vary considerably on accrual rate (typically one hour per set number of hours worked), annual usage caps, qualifying reasons for use, and employer size thresholds that determine who must comply. Three states (Illinois, Maine, and Nevada) go further with paid leave laws that let employees use accrued time for any reason, not just illness or caregiving.
Which States Have Paid Sick Leave Laws?
As of 2026, the following states and Washington D.C. have mandatory paid sick leave or paid leave laws in effect: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Illinois, Maine, and Nevada have paid leave laws allowing use for any reason, which function similarly for most employees.
Missouri briefly joined this group after voters approved paid sick leave in November 2024, but the state legislature reversed course. Governor Mike Kehoe signed a repeal on July 10, 2025, effective August 28, 2025, meaning Missouri no longer has a statewide paid sick leave mandate.
Alaska and Nebraska are newly added as of 2025. Alaska’s paid sick leave law took effect July 1, 2025, and Nebraska’s followed on October 1, 2025. Michigan’s law also changed substantially. The Earned Sick Time Act replaced the earlier Paid Medical Leave Act on February 21, 2025, expanding coverage to all employers with one or more employees.
A State-by-State Look at Paid Sick Leave Laws
The table below reflects each law as of 2026. These laws change frequently (particularly accrual caps and employer thresholds), so employees and employers in states with recent changes should verify current requirements with a state agency or employment attorney.
| State | Effective Date | Accrual Rate | Annual Cap | Employer Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | July 1, 2025 | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 56 hrs (15+ employees); 40 hrs (<15 employees) | All employers |
| Arizona | July 1, 2017 | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 40 hrs (15+ employees); 24 hrs (<15 employees) | All private employers |
| California | July 1, 2015 | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 40 hrs or 5 days (updated Jan 1, 2024) | All employers |
| Colorado | January 1, 2021 | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 48 hrs | All employers |
| Connecticut | January 1, 2012 | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 40 hrs | 11+ employees (expanding to all employers January 1, 2027) |
| Illinois | January 1, 2024 | 1 hr / 40 hrs worked | 40 hrs (use for any reason) | All employers |
| Maine | January 1, 2021 | 1 hr / 40 hrs worked | 40 hrs (use for any reason) | 10+ employees |
| Maryland | February 11, 2018 | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 40 hrs (paid); 40 hrs (unpaid for small employers) | 15+ employees (paid); <15 (unpaid) |
| Massachusetts | July 1, 2015 | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 40 hrs | 11+ employees (paid); <11 (unpaid) |
| Michigan | Feb 21, 2025 (Earned Sick Time Act) | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 72 hrs (10+ employees); 40 hrs (<10 employees) | All employers with 1+ employees |
| Minnesota | January 1, 2024 | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 48 hrs | All employers |
| Nebraska | October 1, 2025 | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 56 hrs (20+ employees); 40 hrs (11 to 19 employees) | 11+ employees (10 or fewer exempt) |
| Nevada | January 1, 2020 | 1 hr / 52 hrs worked | 40 hrs (use for any reason) | 50+ employees |
| New Jersey | October 29, 2018 | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 40 hrs | All employers |
| New Mexico | July 1, 2022 | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 64 hrs | All employers |
| New York | September 30, 2020 | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 56 hrs (100+ employees); 40 hrs (4 to 99); unpaid for <4 | All employers (paid threshold varies) |
| Oregon | January 1, 2016 | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 40 hrs | 10+ employees (6+ in Portland) |
| Rhode Island | July 1, 2018 | 1 hr / 35 hrs worked | 40 hrs | 18+ employees |
| Vermont | January 1, 2017 | 1 hr / 52 hrs worked | 40 hrs | All employers |
| Washington | January 1, 2018 | 1 hr / 40 hrs worked | No cap on accrual; 40 hrs use per year | All employers |
| Washington D.C. | November 13, 2008 | 1 hr / 37 hrs worked | 80 hrs (100+ employees); 56 hrs (25 to 99); 40 hrs (<25) | All employers |
New York also added 20 hours of paid prenatal leave as of January 1, 2025, separate from the sick leave entitlement above and applicable to all private employers regardless of size.
City & County Paid Sick Leave Laws
Several cities and counties have enacted paid sick leave ordinances that go beyond their state’s law or exist entirely independently of it. In states without a statewide mandate, these local laws may be the only protection available to employees in that jurisdiction.
Texas is worth a specific note: Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin all passed local paid sick leave ordinances, but courts have blocked enforcement of all three. None are currently in effect, and employees in those cities have no enforceable paid sick leave protections through local law.
| City / County | State | Accrual Rate | Annual Cap | Employer Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | California | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 72 hrs (large); 48 hrs (small) | All employers |
| Emeryville | California | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 72 hrs (56+ employees); 48 hrs (<56 employees) | All employers |
| Los Angeles (City) | California | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 72 hrs (26+ employees); 48 hrs (<26 employees) | All employers |
| Los Angeles (County) | California | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 72 hrs (26+ employees); 48 hrs (<26 employees) | Unincorporated areas |
| San Francisco | California | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 72 hrs (10+ employees); 40 hrs (<10 employees) | All employers |
| West Hollywood | California | Frontloaded | 96 hrs (highest in the country) | All employers |
| Chicago | Illinois | 1 hr / 35 hrs worked | 40 hrs sick + 40 hrs personal | All employers |
| Montgomery County | Maryland | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 56 hrs (5+ employees); 32 hrs (<5 employees) | All employers |
| New York City | New York | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 56 hrs (5+ employees); 40 hrs (<5 employees) | All employers |
| Westchester County | New York | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 40 hrs | 5+ employees |
| Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1 hr / 40 hrs worked | 40 hrs | 10+ employees |
| Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 1 hr / 35 hrs worked | 40 hrs | 15+ employees |
| Seattle | Washington | 1 hr / 30 hrs worked | 72 hrs (250+ employees); 56 hrs (51 to 249); 40 hrs (<51) | All employers |
| Tacoma | Washington | 1 hr / 40 hrs worked | 24 hrs | All employers |
Key Provisions That Vary by State
Accrual rates and caps only tell part of the story. The provisions below are where employer violations most commonly occur, and where employees most often discover their rights were narrower or broader than they assumed.
- Carryover and Frontloading: Most states require employers to carry over unused sick time into the following year, up to the annual use cap. Some allow employers to skip carryover entirely by frontloading the full annual amount at the start of each year. Arizona requires carryover unless the employer frontloads.
- Documentation Requirements: Most states prohibit employers from requiring a doctor’s note for absences under three consecutive days. Demanding a note for a single sick day is one of the more common employer violations, and it can constitute illegal interference with an employee’s rights.
- Safe Time Provisions: Nearly every state sick leave law includes safe time protections, meaning employees can use accrued leave to address the effects of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Arizona includes safe time provisions under the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act.
- Qualifying Family Members: Arizona’s definition is notably broad: it includes domestic partners and anyone related by blood or affinity whose close association is the equivalent of a family relationship. Other states use narrower definitions that exclude domestic partners or extended family members.
- Payout on Termination: Most state sick leave laws, including Arizona’s, don’t require employers to pay out unused sick time when employment ends. This distinguishes sick leave from vacation time in states where unused vacation must be paid out.
- Employer Size Thresholds: Employer size often determines both whether paid leave is required at all and how many hours employees can use. Workers at very small employers may have unpaid rights, reduced rights, or no rights at all under certain state laws.
Arizona Paid Sick Leave: What Employees & Employers Need to Know
Arizona’s paid sick leave law (the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act, Proposition 206) has been in effect since July 1, 2017. It applies to all private employers in the state, with employer size determining the annual cap. Employers with 15 or more employees must allow up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year; those with fewer than 15 cap at 24 hours. Leave accrues from the first day of employment at one hour per 30 hours worked, though employers may impose a 90-day waiting period before an employee can use it.
Employers must disclose sick time balances on each pay stub or a separate written document provided with each paycheck, and must post the Industrial Commission of Arizona’s model notice where employees can see it. Failure to provide either disclosure is itself a violation, independent of any actual denial of leave. Several additional rules catch employers off guard:
- Retaliation Is Explicitly Prohibited: Termination, demotion, schedule reduction, and negative performance reviews that follow an employee’s use of earned sick time can all constitute retaliation under the Act.
- Carryover Is Required: Unless an employer frontloads the full annual entitlement at the start of the year, unused sick time must carry over, up to the annual use cap.
- Unused Sick Time Need Not Be Paid Out: Arizona doesn’t require employers to pay out unused sick leave upon termination, resignation, or layoff. The balance extinguishes when employment ends.
- Complaint Deadlines Apply: Employees who believe their rights were violated must file a complaint with the Industrial Commission of Arizona within one year of the violation. Missing that deadline can eliminate the ability to seek a remedy.
What to Do If Your Employer Denies or Retaliates Against Your Sick Leave
Sick leave violations don’t always look obvious. An employer who docks pay for a sick day, pressures an employee not to use accrued time, or writes someone up shortly after a protected absence may be breaking the law without saying so explicitly. The steps you take in the weeks following the incident matter.
Start by documenting everything you can recall: dates and hours worked, your sick leave balance as shown on pay stubs, any communications with your employer about the leave request, and any changes to your schedule, pay, or treatment after you used or tried to use sick time. Written records carry more weight than memory alone when a complaint is filed.
In Arizona, the Industrial Commission enforces the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act. Employees can file a complaint directly with the Commission within one year of the violation. That process is separate from a private civil action, which may also be available depending on the circumstances. An employer who denies sick leave often has broader compliance problems, and the remedies available in a civil action can go beyond what an administrative complaint recovers. Our attorneys can evaluate whether the facts support additional claims, such as unpaid wages, wrongful termination, or other wage and hour violations that sometimes accompany sick leave denials.
Weiler Law PLLC represents both employees and employers in Phoenix on wage and hour matters, including sick leave disputes, retaliation claims, and related employment issues. If you have questions about your rights or obligations under Arizona’s paid sick leave law, call us at (480) 418-7878.