Not legal advice. A state-by-state summary of mandatory paid sick leave for trade employers, current as of November 2026, compiled from state agency information and employment law trackers. Sick leave laws have many exceptions and local add-ons. Check your state labor department before writing a policy.
Quick answer
About 20 states and D.C. require paid sick leave or paid leave that can be used for sickness, plus a long list of cities and counties. The common pattern is 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, capped at 40 hours a year, but the caps, employer-size thresholds, and local rules vary a lot.
- Biggest 2027 change: Connecticut covers every employer with even one employee starting January 1, 2027.
- Newest laws: Alaska (July 2025), Nebraska (October 2025, 11+ employees), and Michigan’s rewritten Earned Sick Time Act (February 2025).
- Gone: Missouri repealed its voter-approved law effective August 28, 2025.
- Texas: no state law, and courts have blocked the Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio ordinances.
- Trade-shop traps: paying sick time correctly to flat-rate and commission techs, attendance points for protected absences, and techs who work across state lines.
On this page
- State-by-state table
- States with no statewide law
- City and county ordinances
- What changed in 2025–2027
- Paying sick time to flat-rate and commission techs
- Rules that trip up trade shops
- Can a PTO policy cover it?
- Paid family leave is a separate thing
- Building one policy for every state
- All 50 states
- FAQ
A tech calls out at 6:45 a.m. with a fever and four calls on the board. Whether you have to pay for that day, how much, and whether you can count it against them depends almost entirely on which state, and sometimes which city, they work in. Here’s the whole map, plus the parts that trip up service businesses specifically.
State-by-state table
| State | Who’s covered | Accrual | Annual cap | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | All employers | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 40 hrs (under 15 employees); 56 hrs (15+) | Effective July 1, 2025 |
| Arizona | All private employers | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 24 hrs (under 15); 40 hrs (15+) | Employer may impose a 90-day wait for new hires |
| California | All employers | 1 hr / 30 hrs | Use 40 hrs or 5 days; accrual cap 80 hrs or 10 days | Many local ordinances with higher caps |
| Colorado | All employers | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 48 hrs | Extra leave during public health emergencies |
| Connecticut | 11+ in 2026; all employers Jan. 1, 2027 | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 40 hrs | Use after 120 days; seasonal and some union construction workers excluded |
| D.C. | All employers | 1 hr / 37 hrs | 40 hrs (under 25); 56 hrs (25–99); 80 hrs (100+) | — |
| Illinois | All employers | 1 hr / 40 hrs | 40 hrs | Paid leave for any reason; no documentation can be required; Chicago and Cook County have their own rules |
| Maine | 10+ employees | 1 hr / 40 hrs | 40 hrs | Earned paid leave for any reason |
| Maryland | 15+ paid; under 15 unpaid | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 40 hrs use; 64 hrs bank | Montgomery County has its own ordinance |
| Massachusetts | 11+ paid; under 11 unpaid | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 40 hrs | — |
| Michigan | All employers | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 40 hrs (10 or fewer employees); 72 hrs (11+) | Earned Sick Time Act, effective Feb. 21, 2025; small businesses from Oct. 1, 2025 |
| Minnesota | All employers | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 48 hrs; bank up to 80 | Earned Sick and Safe Time |
| Nebraska | 11+ employees | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 40 hrs (11–19); 56 hrs (20+) | Effective Oct. 1, 2025; 10 or fewer exempt |
| Nevada | 50+ employees | 1 hr / 52 hrs (0.01923 per hour) | 40 hrs | Paid leave for any reason |
| New Jersey | All employers | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 40 hrs | Use after 120 days |
| New Mexico | All employers | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 64 hrs | No waiting period |
| New York | All employers | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 40 hrs (under 100); 56 hrs (100+) | Under 5 employees with net income of $1M or less: unpaid; plus 20 hrs paid prenatal leave; NYC and Westchester have their own laws |
| Oregon | 10+ paid (6+ in Portland); smaller unpaid | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 40 hrs | — |
| Rhode Island | 18+ paid; smaller unpaid | 1 hr / 35 hrs | 40 hrs | — |
| Vermont | All employers | 1 hr / 52 hrs | 40 hrs | Employer may impose a waiting period of up to a year |
| Washington | All employers | 1 hr / 40 hrs | No statutory use cap; carryover can be limited to 40 hrs | Seattle and Tacoma have their own ordinances |
Sources: Weiler Law 2026 state survey; StartBusinessByState employer-size table (September 2026); LegalWorkplace; HR Delivered on Connecticut’s 2027 expansion. Where sources conflicted, we used the state agency’s figure. Caps are statutory minimums; employers can always give more.
States with no statewide law
Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming have no general private-sector paid sick leave mandate as of November 2026. A few notes:
- Missouri voters approved paid sick leave in November 2024. The legislature repealed it, and the repeal took effect August 28, 2025.
- Texas: Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio each passed ordinances, and courts blocked all three. None are in effect.
- Pennsylvania has no state law, but Philadelphia and Pittsburgh do.
- Several states, including Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee, have laws that preempt cities from passing their own sick leave mandates.
- Federal law requires paid sick leave only for certain federal contractors, under Executive Order 13706.
City and county ordinances
Local laws usually add more hours on top of the state minimum. If your techs run calls in these places, the local rule may apply for hours worked there:
| Jurisdiction | Accrual | Annual cap |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles (city and unincorporated county) | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 72 hrs (26+ employees); 48 hrs (under 26) |
| San Francisco | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 72 hrs (10+); 40 hrs (under 10) |
| Berkeley, Emeryville | 1 hr / 30 hrs | Up to 72 hrs by size |
| Chicago | 1 hr / 35 hrs | 40 hrs sick + 40 hrs paid leave |
| Montgomery County, MD | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 56 hrs (5+); 32 hrs (under 5) |
| New York City | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 40–56 hrs by size |
| Westchester County, NY | 1 hr / 30 hrs | 40 hrs (5+) |
| Philadelphia | 1 hr / 40 hrs | 40 hrs (10+) |
| Pittsburgh | 1 hr / 35 hrs | 40 hrs (15+) |
| Seattle | 1 hr / 30–40 hrs | 40–72 hrs by size |
| Tacoma | 1 hr / 40 hrs | 24 hrs |
Source: Weiler Law 2026 survey. Not a complete list; check every city your techs work in. Many local ordinances apply after an employee works a minimum number of hours within city limits.
What changed in 2025–2027
| State | Change | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | Earned Sick Time Act replaces the Paid Medical Leave Act; covers employers with 1+ employees | Feb. 21, 2025 (small businesses Oct. 1, 2025) |
| Alaska | New paid sick leave law from 2024 ballot measure | July 1, 2025 |
| Missouri | Voter-approved law repealed | Aug. 28, 2025 |
| Nebraska | New law from 2024 ballot measure, amended to exempt employers with 10 or fewer | Oct. 1, 2025 |
| Connecticut | Coverage expands to all employers (1+ employee) | Jan. 1, 2027 |
Connecticut’s details from January 1, 2027: 1 hour per 30 hours worked up to 40 hours a year, or front-load the 40 hours; use after 120 calendar days; paid at the greater of the employee’s normal hourly wage or the state minimum wage; accrued and used hours on pay stubs; records kept for three years.
Paying sick time to flat-rate and commission techs
This is where trade shops most often underpay. A flat-rate tech doesn’t have an obvious “hourly rate,” and paying sick time at minimum wage when the tech normally earns $35 an hour is a violation in several states.
California is the clearest example. For non-exempt employees, Labor Code 246 says sick pay is either:
- The regular rate of pay for the workweek in which the sick time is used, or
- Total wages, excluding overtime premium, divided by total hours worked in the full pay periods of the prior 90 days.
For a tech whose pay swings with flat-rate or commission earnings, the 90-day method often gives the fairer and more defensible number. Here’s how it works: a tech earned $21,000 in flat-rate and hourly wages (excluding overtime premium) over 600 hours in the last 90 days. Their sick pay rate is $21,000 ÷ 600 = $35.00 an hour.
Other states use different formulas. Connecticut uses the greater of the normal hourly wage or minimum wage. Some states let you use the regular rate. Whatever your state, don’t default to minimum wage for a tech who earns far more; set the method in writing and apply it consistently.
Rules that trip up trade shops
Attendance points and bonuses
Most sick leave laws prohibit retaliation, and many specifically bar counting protected sick time as an absence that can lead to discipline. If your attendance policy gives a point for every callout, or your techs lose an attendance bonus for using sick time, that can be a violation. Code protected sick time separately so it never feeds an attendance rule. See year-end bonuses for how attendance bonuses also affect overtime.
Doctor’s notes
Many states limit when you can ask for documentation, often only after an absence of several consecutive days, and some bar requiring it at all. Illinois’s paid leave can be used for any reason, with no documentation. A blanket “doctor’s note for every callout” rule is noncompliant in many places.
Notice requirements
You can usually require reasonable notice, such as calling the dispatcher before the shift, when the need is foreseeable or practical. You generally can’t deny leave because the tech didn’t find a replacement.
Overtime hours accrue too
Accrual is based on hours worked, including overtime hours, in most states. A tech who works 55 hours a week in a busy summer accrues faster than one working 40.
Techs who work across state lines
Coverage is generally based on where the work is performed, and some laws have minimums. California covers employees who work 30 or more days in a year in the state, and many city ordinances require a minimum number of hours within city limits. A tech based in Kansas City who runs calls on both sides of the state line, or a Portland, Oregon tech crossing into Washington, may be covered by more than one law.
Waiting periods and new hires
Accrual usually starts on day one, but many states let you delay use, commonly 90 or 120 days. Connecticut is 120 days from 2027; New Jersey is 120 days; Arizona lets employers impose 90; New Mexico allows no waiting period.
Separation and rehire
Most sick leave laws don’t require payout of unused sick time when a tech leaves. But many require you to reinstate unused hours if you rehire the tech within a set period, often within a year. If you combine sick time into a PTO bank, separation payout rules for vacation may apply instead.
Union construction exemptions
Several states, including Connecticut, exempt certain construction workers covered by a collective bargaining agreement. If your techs are union, check the agreement and the statute.
Can a PTO policy cover it?
Usually, yes. In most states, a general PTO policy satisfies the sick leave law if it gives at least as many hours, lets employees use them for every reason the sick law covers, and follows the law’s accrual, carryover, notice, documentation, and anti-retaliation rules.
The tradeoff: in states that treat earned vacation as wages, like California, unused PTO has to be paid out at separation. Separate sick leave usually doesn’t. Combining the two can make every unused sick hour a payout liability.
Front-loading is the other simplification. Many states let you give the full annual amount on January 1, or on the hire date, instead of tracking accrual. You trade a little cost for much less bookkeeping, and in several states front-loading removes the carryover obligation.
Paid family leave is a separate thing
Paid sick leave is paid by the employer, for short absences. Paid family and medical leave (PFML) is a state insurance program, usually funded by payroll contributions, for longer leaves. They stack. 2026–2028 milestones:
| State | Status |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | Contributions and benefits began Jan. 1, 2026; up to 12 weeks medical and 12 weeks family, 20 weeks combined |
| Delaware | Benefits began Jan. 1, 2026 |
| Maine | Contributions since Jan. 1, 2025; benefits began May 1, 2026; up to 12 weeks; all employers |
| Maryland | Contributions pushed to Jan. 1, 2027; benefits expected Jan. 3, 2028 |
| Colorado | Premium lowered to 0.88% of wages for 2026; NICU leave added |
| Washington | Job restoration threshold drops from 25 to 15 employees on Jan. 1, 2027, and to 8 in 2028 |
| Also in place | California, Connecticut, D.C., Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island |
Source: Epstein Becker Green 2026 family and medical leave update. Contribution rates change annually; check each program’s site.
Building one policy for every state
If you operate in more than one state, the simplest compliant approach is to write to the most generous rule you’re subject to and apply it everywhere:
The law decides whether you pay for a sick day. Your dispatch board decides whether you lose the revenue. When a tech calls out at 6:45, VortechPro lets you see their calls on the board and reassign them in a few taps. $99/mo for 5 techs, +$20 each.
Paid Sick Leave in All 50 States (+ DC)
Every state and D.C. in one place: who’s covered, how fast leave accrues, and the annual cap. States without a statewide law still list any city ordinances your techs may run into.
Jump to your state
Alabama No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Alaska Paid Sick Leave
Covered: all employers. Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Cap: 40 hours a year for employers with fewer than 15 employees; 56 hours for 15 or more.
Effective July 1, 2025, from the 2024 ballot measure.
Arizona Paid Sick Leave
Covered: all private employers. Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Cap: 24 hours a year for employers with fewer than 15 employees; 40 hours for 15 or more.
Employers may require new hires to wait 90 days before using accrued time.
Arkansas No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
California Paid Sick Leave
Covered: all employers; employees who work 30 or more days in a year in California. Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Use cap: 40 hours or 5 days a year; accrual cap 80 hours or 10 days.
Flat-rate and commission techs: pay sick time at the regular rate for the workweek, or total non-overtime wages divided by hours worked in the prior 90 days (Labor Code 246).
Local ordinances add more: Los Angeles (city and unincorporated county), San Francisco, Berkeley, Emeryville, and others.
Colorado Paid Sick Leave
Covered: all employers. Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Cap: 48 hours a year.
Additional paid leave is required during declared public health emergencies.
Connecticut Expands Jan 1, 2027
Covered: employers with 11 or more employees in 2026, and every employer with one or more employees starting January 1, 2027.
Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year, or front-load 40 hours. Use after 120 calendar days. Paid at the greater of the normal hourly wage or the state minimum wage. Accrued and used hours go on pay stubs; keep records three years.
Delaware No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
District of Columbia Paid Sick Leave
Covered: all employers. Accrual: 1 hour per 37 hours worked. Cap: 40 hours (fewer than 25 employees), 56 hours (25–99), 80 hours (100 or more).
Florida No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Florida law preempts cities and counties from adopting their own sick leave mandates.
Georgia No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Georgia law preempts local governments from requiring private employers to provide paid leave.
Hawaii No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Idaho No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Illinois Paid Leave (Any Reason)
Covered: all employers, under the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. Accrual: 1 hour per 40 hours worked. Cap: 40 hours a year.
Leave can be used for any reason, and employers can’t require documentation. Chicago and Cook County have their own ordinances; Chicago requires 40 hours of sick leave plus 40 hours of paid leave.
Indiana No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Iowa No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Kansas No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Kentucky No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Louisiana No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Maine Paid Leave (Any Reason)
Covered: employers with 10 or more employees. Accrual: 1 hour per 40 hours worked. Cap: 40 hours a year, usable for any reason.
Maryland Paid Sick Leave (15+)
Covered: employers with 15 or more employees must provide paid leave; smaller employers must provide unpaid leave. Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Cap: use 40 hours a year; bank up to 64.
Montgomery County has its own ordinance with higher caps.
Massachusetts Paid Sick Leave (11+)
Covered: employers with 11 or more employees provide paid leave; smaller employers provide unpaid leave. Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Cap: 40 hours a year.
Michigan Paid Sick Leave
Covered: all employers, under the Earned Sick Time Act effective February 21, 2025 (small businesses from October 1, 2025). Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Cap: 40 hours a year for employers with 10 or fewer employees; 72 hours for 11 or more.
Minnesota Paid Sick Leave
Covered: all employers, under Earned Sick and Safe Time. Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Cap: 48 hours a year; bank up to 80.
Minnesota’s paid family and medical leave program also began paying benefits January 1, 2026.
Mississippi No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Missouri No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Voters approved paid sick leave in November 2024, but the legislature repealed it effective August 28, 2025.
Montana No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Nebraska Paid Sick Leave (11+)
Covered: employers with 11 or more employees, effective October 1, 2025; employers with 10 or fewer are exempt. Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Cap: 40 hours (11–19 employees); 56 hours (20 or more).
Nevada Paid Leave (50+)
Covered: employers with 50 or more employees. Accrual: 0.01923 hours per hour worked (about 1 hour per 52). Cap: 40 hours a year, usable for any reason.
New Hampshire No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
New Jersey Paid Sick Leave
Covered: all employers. Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Cap: 40 hours a year. Employees can use leave after 120 days.
New Mexico Paid Sick Leave
Covered: all employers. Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Cap: 64 hours a year, with no waiting period.
New York Paid Sick Leave
Covered: all employers. Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Cap: 40 hours (fewer than 100 employees); 56 hours (100 or more). Employers with fewer than 5 employees and net income of $1 million or less may provide unpaid leave.
Plus 20 hours of paid prenatal leave. New York City and Westchester County have their own sick leave laws.
North Carolina No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
North Dakota No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Ohio No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Oklahoma No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Oregon Paid Sick Leave (10+)
Covered: employers with 10 or more employees (6 or more in Portland) provide paid leave; smaller employers provide unpaid leave. Accrual: 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Cap: 40 hours a year.
Pennsylvania Local Laws Only
No statewide paid sick leave law.
Philadelphia: 1 hour per 40 hours, up to 40 hours a year, for employers with 10 or more employees. Pittsburgh: 1 hour per 35 hours, up to 40 hours a year, for employers with 15 or more. Techs who work in those cities may be covered for that work.
Rhode Island Paid Sick Leave (18+)
Covered: employers with 18 or more employees provide paid leave; smaller employers provide unpaid leave. Accrual: 1 hour per 35 hours worked. Cap: 40 hours a year.
South Carolina No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
South Dakota No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Tennessee No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Tennessee law preempts local governments from mandating paid leave for private employers.
Texas No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio each passed sick leave ordinances, and courts blocked all three; none are in effect.
Utah No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Vermont Paid Sick Leave
Covered: all employers. Accrual: 1 hour per 52 hours worked. Cap: 40 hours a year. Employers may impose a waiting period of up to a year.
Virginia No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Virginia’s paid sick leave law applies only to certain home health workers, not to trade employers generally.
Washington Paid Sick Leave
Covered: all employers. Accrual: 1 hour per 40 hours worked. No statutory annual use cap; carryover can be limited to 40 hours.
Seattle and Tacoma have their own ordinances. Washington’s paid family leave job restoration threshold drops to 15 employees on January 1, 2027.
West Virginia No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Wisconsin No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Wyoming No State Law
No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers as of November 2026. Employers can still offer sick time or PTO voluntarily, and if you offer it, follow your written policy consistently.
Sources: Weiler Law 2026 state survey; StartBusinessByState employer-size table (September 2026); HR Delivered; state agency guidance as summarized above. Caps are statutory minimums.
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