One great hire, one new set of rules
You found the perfect candidate. She lives in Denver, your company is based in Texas, and she starts Monday. Offer signed, laptop shipped, done.
Except it isn't. The day she starts, you owe her paid sick leave under Colorado law, whether or not your handbook says anything about it. Nobody told you, because nobody had to. There is no federal paid sick leave law for private employers, so the rules live state by state, and sometimes city by city.
This is how most companies fall out of compliance. Not through bad intent, but through growth that outpaces their HR. So let's ask the question directly: do you know which states require paid sick leave?
The map: 20 states plus DC, and counting
As of November 2026, 20 states and Washington, D.C. require paid sick leave, and Virginia joins them starting July 2027. Three of those states (Illinois, Maine, and Nevada) go further and require paid leave employees can use for any reason.
The headline number hides the real problem: no two laws match. Thresholds, accrual rates, and annual caps all vary.
| State | Who must provide it | Accrual rate | Annual amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | All employers | 1 hr / 30 worked | 40 hrs (under 15 employees); 56 hrs (15+) |
| Arizona | All employers | 1 hr / 30 worked | 24 hrs (under 15); 40 hrs (15+) |
| California | All employers | 1 hr / 30 worked, or front-load | 40 hrs or 5 days |
| Colorado | All employers | 1 hr / 30 worked | 48 hrs |
| ConnecticutPhasing in | 11+ employees (2026); all employers (2027) | 1 hr / 30 worked | 40 hrs |
| District of Columbia | All employers | 1 hr / 87 to 1 hr / 37, by size | 3 to 7 days |
| IllinoisAny reason | All employers | 1 hr / 40 worked | 40 hrs |
| MaineAny reason | 11+ employees | 1 hr / 40 worked | 40 hrs |
| Maryland | 15+ paid; smaller may be unpaid | 1 hr / 30 worked | 40 hrs |
| Massachusetts | 11+ paid; smaller unpaid | 1 hr / 30 worked | 40 hrs |
| Michigan | All employers | 1 hr / 30 worked | 40 hrs (10 or fewer); 72 hrs (11+) |
| Minnesota | All employers | 1 hr / 30 worked | 48 hrs (80-hr bank) |
| NebraskaNew 2025 | 11+ employees | 1 hr / 30 worked | 40 hrs (11–19); 56 hrs (20+) |
| NevadaAny reason | 50+ employees | 0.01923 hrs / hr worked | About 40 hrs |
| New Jersey | All employers | 1 hr / 30 worked | 40 hrs |
| New Mexico | All employers | 1 hr / 30 worked | 64 hrs |
| New York | 5+ paid; very small may be unpaid | 1 hr / 30 worked | 40 hrs (5–99); 56 hrs (100+) |
| Oregon | 10+ paid (6+ in Portland) | 1 hr / 30 worked | 40 hrs |
| Rhode Island | 18+ paid | 1 hr / 35 worked | 40 hrs |
| Vermont | All employers | 1 hr / 52 worked | 40 hrs |
| Washington | All employers | 1 hr / 40 worked | No annual accrual cap; carry over up to 40 hrs |
| VirginiaComing 2027 | 50+ (Jul 2027); 25+ (Jan 2028); all (Jan 2029) | 1 hr / 30 worked | 40 hrs |
Sources: HRTally state paid leave table (updated October 20, 2026); Virginia from Williams Mullen (May 21, 2026). Paid sick leave laws change often. Information is current as of the date above. Confirm with the state agency or employment counsel before relying on it.
What changed recently, and what's coming:
Alaska added paid sick leave on July 1, 2025, by ballot measure.
Nebraska followed on October 1, 2025, for employers with 11 or more employees.
Missouri voters passed a law, it took effect May 2025, and the legislature repealed it effective August 28, 2025. If your Missouri policy was built around it, you may be offering more than required, which is fine, but know why.
Connecticut dropped its threshold to 11+ employees in 2026 and covers every employer in 2027.
Virginia signed a statewide law on May 20, 2026: 50+ employees on July 1, 2027, 25+ on January 1, 2028, and all employers on January 1, 2029. (Williams Mullen)
It's not just states: cities and counties stack on top
A state map isn't enough, because a city or county can add its own rules on top of the state's, or create rules where the state has none.
Pennsylvania is the clearest example. It has no statewide law, yet Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allegheny County each require paid sick leave. Pittsburgh raised its accrual rate and annual hours starting January 1, 2026.
Other local ordinances include:
California: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Berkeley, Emeryville, Santa Monica, and others
Illinois: Chicago and Cook County
Maryland: Montgomery County
Minnesota: Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Bloomington
New York: New York City
Washington: Seattle, Tacoma, and SeaTac
Chicago shows how deep this goes. It requires both paid sick leave and separate paid leave for any reason, and revised rules took effect June 1, 2026, covering joint employers, successor employers, and alternative PTO policies. Only hours physically worked inside city limits count toward accrual. (Saul Ewing, ADP)
The practical question isn't "what state is this person in?" It's "what city, county, and state is this person physically working in?"
Where companies get tripped up
Most companies aren't out of compliance because they offer nothing. They're out of compliance because their policy was written for one state and quietly stretched to cover ten.
"We have unlimited PTO, so we're covered." Maybe. A general PTO policy can satisfy many sick leave laws, but only if it meets each law's rules on accrual, use, carryover, and documentation. Unlimited PTO that a manager can deny doesn't automatically count.
Accrual math that doesn't match. Most states use 1 hour per 30 worked, but Illinois and Washington use 1 per 40, Rhode Island 1 per 35, and Vermont 1 per 52. One accrual rule in your payroll system will be wrong somewhere.
Caps and carryover. New Mexico allows up to 64 hours a year, Michigan up to 72, and Washington sets no annual accrual cap at all. Carryover rules differ even more than accrual rates do.
Thresholds that sneak up on you. Nebraska, Maine, and Massachusetts kick in at 11 employees. Rhode Island's paid requirement starts at 18. Connecticut and Virginia are phasing in down to a single employee. Growth can trigger a law you've never had to think about.
Covered reasons. Many laws cover more than the employee's own illness: a family member's care, preventive care, and safe time for domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Some, like Oregon, have added reasons as recently as January 2026.
Documentation and retaliation. Several laws limit when you can ask for a doctor's note. Virginia's new law, for example, allows documentation only after three or more consecutive workdays and bars attendance points for protected use. A well-meaning attendance policy can turn into a retaliation claim.
Notices and recordkeeping. Many laws require posted notices and written policies, and some require accrual balances on pay stubs. Remote employees still need to receive those notices.
What to do now
If you have employees in more than one state, or plan to, here is where to start:
Map where people actually work. List every employee's work state, county, and city, not their mailing address or your headquarters.
Match each location to its law. Use the table above as a starting point, then check the state agency and any local ordinance.
Test your policy against the strictest rules. Many multi-state employers adopt one policy that meets the most generous requirements, then add state addenda where needed.
Configure payroll to match. Accrual rates, caps, carryover, and front-loading need to follow each location's rules.
Clean up your attendance and documentation practices. Make sure managers know they can't penalize protected sick leave or demand a note too early.
Get notices to everyone, including remote employees who never see a breakroom poster.
Put a review on the calendar. Laws changed in Alaska, Nebraska, Missouri, Connecticut, and Virginia in just the last 18 months. Check at least once a year, and every time you hire in a new location.
Not sure where you stand?
If you read that table and thought "wait, we have someone in Minnesota," you're not alone, and you're not in trouble yet. But you should know where the gaps are before an employee, or a state agency, points them out.
We've sat in your chair. Our HR Health Check maps every location where you have people, compares your policies to what each state and city requires, and gives you a prioritized plan to close the gaps.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Paid sick leave laws change often and have exceptions by industry and employer size. Confirm current requirements with the relevant agency or employment counsel.
