Sick leave resources by state (for admins)

Summary

Admins can find state resources for mandatory sick leave requirements.

Users Intent

Context Variations

Content

Set up and manage sick time or emergency sick pay in Gusto

Admins can use Gusto to track sick time off and pay their team for sick hours during payroll.

You can make and manage different time off policies for different groups of employees. Some policy types include:

Sick policy (for regular sick leave)
Custom policy (like emergency sick leave)
Limited or unlimited time off
Holiday pay policy
And more...

Employer requirements for sick time

Some states (like California) require you to show employees how much unused sick time they have. You can do this by running a Time Off Balances Report in Gusto.

Employees can also check their sick time by logging into Gusto. You can share this help article to guide them.

Sick leave laws by state and city

The table below has some states and cities with sick leave laws. Click the links to learn more about each one.

Notice something missing? Send us a message from your Gusto account and we’ll check on it. In the meantime, visit your state or local government’s website or contact them directly.

Important notes

Some laws only apply to certain types of employers. Always check the rules for your specific state or city.
If you have questions about a law (or ordinance), visit your local government’s website or contact them directly.

Table last updated September 29, 2025

State	Agency resources	Sick leave details
Alaska	Alaska legislature	Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: Depends on employer size. Carryover: Yes, amount depends on employer size. Accrual starts: July 1, 2025, or when employment begins (whichever is later). Use: As soon as it's earned.
Arizona	State of Arizona	Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: Depends on employer size. Carryover: Yes, amount depends on employer size. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: As soon as it's earned.
California	State of California The cities below also have sick leave requirements: Berkeley Emeryville Long Beach Los Angeles Oakland San Diego San Francisco Santa Monica West Hollywood (compensated, and uncompensated leave)	State of California Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: 40 hours per year. Carryover: Yes, up to 80 unused hours. Accrual starts: After 30 days. Use: After a 90-day waiting period.
Colorado	State of Colorado Poster: Paid leave, whistleblowing, and protective equipment	Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: 48 hours per year. Carryover: Yes, up to 48 unused hours per year. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: As soon as it's earned.
Connecticut	State of Connecticut	Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: 40 hours per year. Carryover: Yes, up to 40 unused hours. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: After a 120-day waiting period.
District of Columbia	Washington, D.C.	Earning sick leave: Depends on employer size. Maximum: Depends on employer size. Carryover: Yes, amount depends on employer size. Starts: When employment begins. Use: After a 90-day waiting period.
Florida	N/A	There is no law regarding the provision of paid sick leave (or carryover) in the state of Florida
Illinois	State of Illinois (beginning Jan 1, 2024) Chicago Cook County	Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 40 hours worked. Maximum: 40 hours per year. Carryover: Yes, up to 40 unused hours per year. Accrual starts: When employment begins Use: After a 90-day waiting period.
Indiana	Indiana sick leave policy* *Only applies to employees in the state civil service Other leaves and absence policies	Earning sick leave: 7.5 hours for every two months worked (full-time employees) Carryover: Rolls over, and accumulates.
Maine	State of Maine First state to offer paid leave (not specific to sick time).	Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 40 hours worked. Maximum: 40 hours per year. Carryover: Yes, up to 40 unused hours. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: After a 120-day waiting period.
Maryland	State of Maryland Montgomery County Prince George County	State of Maryland Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: 40 hours per year or no more than 64 hours at any time. Carryover: Yes, up to 40 unused hours. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: After a 106-day waiting period.
Massachusetts	State of Massachusetts	Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: 40 hours per year. Carryover: Yes, up to 40 unused hours. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: After a 90-day waiting period.
Michigan	State of Michigan Heads up: The Michigan Supreme Court recently issued an opinion resulting in changes to the state’s earned sick time laws and established the Michigan Earned Sick Time Act (starting Feb 1, 2025).	Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: Depends on employer size. Carryover: Yes, up to 72 unused hours or 40 for a small business (10 employees or less). Accrual starts: Feb 21, 2025 or when employment begins (whichever is later). Use: After a 90-day waiting period.
Minnesota	State of Minnesota (new rules effective Jan 1, 2024) Accrual: 1 hour of earned sick and safe time, for every 30 hours worked Accruing begins: When employment begins, or on Jan 1, 2024 (whichever is later) Maximum: 48 hours per year Carryover: Yes—can carry over up to 80 unused hours in subsequent years Usage: Sick leave can be used as it accrues Bloomington (paid sick leave ordinance) Duluth (repealed Jan 17, 2024) Minneapolis St. Paul	State of Minnesota Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: 48 hours per year. Carryover: Yes, up to 80 unused hours. Accrual starts: When employment begins, or Jan 1, 2024 (whichever is later). Use: As soon as it's earned.
Missouri	State of Missouri (starts May 1, 2025)	Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: Depends on employer size. Carryover: Yes, up to 80 unused hours. Accrual starts: May 1, 2025 or when employment begins (whichever is later). Use: Depends on employer size.
Nebraska	State of Nebraska (starts Oct 1, 2025) Nebraska voters passed Initiative 436 requiring Nebraska employers to provide paid sick leave.	Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: Depends on employer size. Carryover: Yes, with no maximum cap, but employers may cap usage at 40 or 56 hours per year depending on size. Accrual starts: Once an employee has worked 80 hours consecutively. Use: Depends on employer size.
Nevada	State of Nevada	Earning sick leave: 0.01923 hours for every hour worked. Maximum: 40 hours per year. Carryover: Yes, up to 40 unused hours. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: After a 90-day waiting period.
New Jersey	State of New Jersey Scroll down on the agency website and click the "For employers" tab. Bloomfield East Orange Elizabeth Irvington Jersey City Montclair Morristown New Brunswick Newark Passaic Paterson Plainfield Trenton	State of New Jersey Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: 40 hours per year. Carryover: Yes, up to 40 unused hours. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: After a 120-day waiting period.
New Mexico	NM paid sick leave Bernalillo County	State of New Mexico Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: 64 hours per year. Carryover: Yes, up to 64 unused hours. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: Once earned.
New York	New York State Requires employers with five or more employees or net income of more than $1 million to provide paid sick leave to employees and for employers with fewer than five employees and a net income of $1 million or less to provide unpaid sick leave to employees. New York City Westchester County	New York State Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: Depends on employer size. Carryover: Yes, up to 40 unused hours. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: Once earned.
North Carolina	No paid sick leave laws currently in place. For more information, contact the North Carolina Department of Labor.	Unless an employee is eligible for coverage under the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act, they can be legally terminated or otherwise punished for missing work due to medical needs.
Oregon	State of Oregon Info on the new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program–effective Jan 1, 2023–can be found in this article. Eugene Portland	State of Oregon Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. Maximum: 40 hours per year. Carryover: Yes, up to 40 unused hours, capping total balance at 80 hours. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: After a 90-day waiting period.
Pennsylvania	Allegheny County Philadelphia Pittsburgh
Rhode Island	State of Rhode Island	Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 35 hours worked. Maximum: 40 hours per year. Carryover: Yes, up to 40 unused hours. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: After a 90-day waiting period.
Texas	Texas private employers do not have to give employees sick days, but the state has info to help with sick leave.
Vermont	State of Vermont	Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 52 hours worked. Maximum: 40 hours per year. Carryover: Yes, up to 40 unused hours. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: Once earned.
Virginia	Virginia law search tool This only applies to employers of certain healthcare workers.
Washington	State of Washington Seattle SeaTac Tacoma	State of Washington Earning sick leave: 1 hour for every 40 hours worked. This applies regardless of full-time, part-time, temporary, or seasonal status. If a local ordinance requires more generous paid sick leave benefits for employees than state law, those requirements will apply. Maximum: Not limited. Carryover: Yes, up to 40 unused hours. Accrual starts: When employment begins. Use: After a 90-day waiting period. Taxation: Qualified sick leave payments do not count as wages or hours and are not taxable under Washington state law. Non‑qualified plans do not meet the threshold—payments must be reported as wages and hours, and are subject to unemployment taxes.

Keywords: state & local resources sick laws state sick leave sick leave laws paid sick leave rules state sick leave