Sick leave laws by state

Published: March 10, 2025 | Updated: March 10, 2025 | by Melissa Stein, JD, Legal Editor at Brightmine

Sick leave laws continue to expand at the state level, with many states requiring covered employers to provide paid sick leave. While state requirements vary, sick leave laws generally require employers to provide time off work when an employee cannot work because of their own illness or because they need to care for a sick family member. Many states require sick leave for additional qualifying reasons.

For multistate employers, keeping up with sick leave requirements can be complicated and time-consuming, particularly when employers have to consider other leave requirements that could apply.

The below chart provides an overview of key sick leave provisions: general applicability and whether leave must be paid. Note that the chart is specific to sick leave. Depending on an employee’s situation, other leave requirements may apply (e.g., family and medical leave, domestic violence leave, paid leave for any reason). For an overview of various leave requirements in each state, see Leave laws by state | 50-state chart.

The following states have current or enacted sick leave laws:

Map: State sick leave laws*

Table: State sick leave laws*

State	Sick leave required	Applicability	Paid or unpaid
Alabama	No	N/A	N/A
Alaska	Yes, effective July 1, 2025	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
Arizona	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
Arkansas	No	N/A	N/A
California	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
Colorado	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
Connecticut	Yes	Applies to employers that employ 25 or more individuals in the state. Effective January 1, 2026, this law applies to employers with 11 or more individuals in the state. Effective January 1, 2027, it applies to employers that employ one or more individuals in the state.	Leave is paid.
Delaware	No	N/A	N/A
District of Columbia	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
Florida	No	N/A	N/A
Georgia	No	N/A	N/A
Hawaii	No	N/A	N/A
Idaho	No	N/A	N/A
Illinois	No	N/A	N/A
Indiana	No	N/A	N/A
Iowa	No	N/A	N/A
Kansas	No	N/A	N/A
Kentucky	No	N/A	N/A
Louisiana	No	N/A	N/A
Maine	No	N/A	N/A
Maryland	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid for employers with 15 or more employees. Leave is unpaid for employers with fewer than 15 employees.
Massachusetts	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid for employers with 11 or more employees. Leave is unpaid for employers with fewer than 11 employees.
Michigan	Yes	Applies to employers with 11 or more employees. Effective October 1, 2025, applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
Minnesota	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
Mississippi	No	N/A	N/A
Missouri	Yes, effective May 1, 2025	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
Montana	No	N/A	N/A
Nebraska	Yes, effective October 1, 2025	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
Nevada	No	N/A	N/A
New Hampshire	No	N/A	N/A
New Jersey	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
New Mexico	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
New York	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid for employers with either four or fewer employees in any calendar year and a net income of more than $1 million, or five or more employees. Otherwise, leave is unpaid.
North Carolina	No	N/A	N/A
North Dakota	No	N/A	N/A
Ohio	No	N/A	N/A
Oklahoma	No	N/A	N/A
Oregon	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid for employers with 10 or more employees and employers in Portland with six or more employees. Otherwise, leave is unpaid.
Pennsylvania	No	N/A	N/A
Rhode Island	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid for employers with 18 or more employees. Leave is unpaid for employers with fewer than 18 employees.
South Carolina	No	N/A	N/A
South Dakota	No	N/A	N/A
Tennessee	No	N/A	N/A
Texas	No	N/A	N/A
Utah	No	N/A	N/A
Vermont	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
Virginia	Yes	Applies to employers of home health workers.	Leave is paid.
Washington	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
West Virginia	No	N/A	N/A
Wisconsin	No	N/A	N/A
Wyoming	No	N/A	N/A

The Brightmine compliance solution

Complying with sick and other leave laws is fundamental to HR teams. And keeping up with the frequent changes, particularly when it comes to sick leave protections, can be overwhelming – especially if you have employees working in multiple states.

Brightmine can help. With our extensive library of state-by-state guidance, customizable legal update alerts and automated handbook management system, you can spend less time on compliance and more time maximizing business value. Click below and to get started today.