Paid leave laws by state: family, medical and sick leave mandates
Reviewed 1 July 2026
There is no federal paid-leave mandate. As of 1 October 2026, 13 US jurisdictions run a paid family and medical leave program and 21 mandate paid sick leave.
Virginia shares draft rules for paid sick leave
What happened
On 2 November, Virginia put out draft rules for its new paid sick leave law. Staff earn at least 1 hour for every 30 hours they work. A firm can give 40 hours at the start of the year instead.
What it means for you
If you have staff in Virginia, plan your sick leave policy now. The law starts on 1 July 2027 for firms with 50 or more staff. The rules are still a draft, so they could change.
Dates to know
- 1 January 2027Last day to comment on Virginia's draft paid sick leave rules.
- 1 January 2027Washington state paid leave charge rises to 1.2% of pay. Employers pay 29.3% of it and workers pay 70.7%.
- 1 January 2027Maryland paid leave deductions start. The rate is 0.9% of pay, split evenly between employer and worker.
- 1 January 2027Massachusetts keeps its paid leave charge at 0.88% of pay. Bigger employers now pay most of the family leave part instead of the medical part.
- 1 January 2027Connecticut keeps its paid leave deduction at 0.5% of pay.
- 1 January 2027Connecticut paid sick leave covers employers with 1 or more staff.
- 30 April 2027The first Maryland paid leave payment is due.
- 1 July 2027Virginia paid sick leave starts for employers with 50 or more staff.
- January 2028Maryland paid family and medical leave starts paying out.
- December 2028Virginia paid family and medical leave starts paying out.
Source: Virginia Register of Regulations. We check this page every week. Last checked .
There is no federal paid-leave mandate in the US: the federal Family and Medical Leave Act gives eligible employees unpaid, job-protected leave, but whether leave is paid is set state by state. A growing group of states run paid family and medical leave (PFML) insurance programs, funded by payroll contributions, that pay a portion of wages during bonding, caregiving or a serious health condition. A larger group mandate paid sick leave for shorter absences. Delaware, Minnesota and Maine all began paying benefits in 2026. Maryland and Virginia are still phasing in, with payroll contributions starting before benefits. The table shows where each state stands on both.
The big picture
The federal FMLA gives unpaid leave only. As of 1 October 2026, 13 of the 51 US jurisdictions (50 states and DC) run a statewide paid family and medical leave program, and 21 mandate paid sick leave. Maryland and Virginia are still phasing in through 2028, with payroll contributions starting before benefits.
Position as at 1 October 2026. Source.
Is there a federal paid leave law?
No. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act gives eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. Whether any of that leave is paid is set by each state, so paid family, medical and sick leave vary widely across the country.
What is the difference between PFML and paid sick leave?
Paid family and medical leave (PFML) is usually a state insurance program, funded by payroll contributions, that replaces part of your wages during longer absences like bonding with a new child or a serious illness. Paid sick leave is shorter, employer-provided time for routine illness or appointments. A state can mandate one, both, or neither.
Which states have paid family and medical leave?
California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Oregon, Colorado and DC run long-established programs, and Delaware, Minnesota and Maine all began paying benefits during 2026. Maryland starts collecting payroll contributions in January 2027, at 0.9% of pay split evenly between employer and employee, and says benefits will begin in January 2028. Virginia pays benefits from December 2028. Washington, DC cut its medical leave to 10 weeks and its family care leave to 6 weeks from 1 October 2026. The table shows each state's program and its in-force date.
What Teamed handles for US paid leave
- Sick leave accrued per state rate
- Family and medical leave contributions filed
- Local sick leave ordinances applied
Paid leave by state
51 jurisdictions
| Source | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | PFML + sick leave | Yes, benefits since 2004 | Yes | 2004-07-01 | source |
| Colorado | PFML + sick leave | Yes, benefits since 2024 | Yes | 2021-01-01 | source |
| Connecticut | PFML + sick leave | Yes, benefits since 2022 | Yes | 2012-01-01 | source |
| District of Columbia | PFML + sick leave | Yes, benefits since 2020 | Yes | 2014-02-22 | source |
| Maine | PFML + sick leave | Yes, benefits since 2026 | Yes | 2021-01-01 | source |
| Massachusetts | PFML + sick leave | Yes, benefits since 2021 | Yes | 2015-07-01 | source |
| Minnesota | PFML + sick leave | Yes, benefits since 2026 | Yes | 2024-01-01 | source |
| New Jersey | PFML + sick leave | Yes, benefits since 2009 | Yes | 2009-07-01 | source |
| New York | PFML + sick leave | Yes, benefits since 2018 | Yes | 2018-01-01 | source |
| Oregon | PFML + sick leave | Yes, benefits since 2023 | Yes | 2016-01-01 | source |
| Rhode Island | PFML + sick leave | Yes, benefits since 2014 | Yes | 2014-01-01 | source |
| Washington | PFML + sick leave | Yes, benefits since 2020 | Yes | 2018-01-01 | source |
| Alaska | Sick leave | No | Yes | 2025-07-01 | source |
| Arizona | Sick leave | No | Yes | 2017-07-01 | source |
| Delaware | PFML program | Yes, benefits since 2026 | No | 2026-01-01 | source |
| Illinois | Sick leave | No | Yes | 2024-01-01 | source |
| Maryland | Sick leave | Enacted, benefits from January 2028 | Yes | 2018-02-11 | source |
| Michigan | Sick leave | No | Yes | 2025-02-21 | source |
| Nebraska | Sick leave | No | Yes | 2025-10-01 | source |
| Nevada | Sick leave | No | Yes | 2020-01-01 | source |
| New Mexico | Sick leave | No | Yes | 2022-07-01 | source |
| Vermont | Sick leave | No | Yes | 2017-01-01 | source |
| Virginia | Upcoming | Enacted, benefits 2028 | Enacted, starts July 2027 | Upcoming: sick leave Jul 2027; PFML benefits Dec 2028 | source |
| Alabama | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Arkansas | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Florida | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Georgia | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Hawaii | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Idaho | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Indiana | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Iowa | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Kansas | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Kentucky | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Louisiana | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Mississippi | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Missouri | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Montana | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| New Hampshire | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| North Carolina | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| North Dakota | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Ohio | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Oklahoma | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Pennsylvania | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| South Carolina | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| South Dakota | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Tennessee | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Texas | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Utah | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| West Virginia | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Wisconsin | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
| Wyoming | No state mandate | No | No | None | source |
Frequently asked questions
Who pays for state paid family and medical leave?
Most PFML programs are funded by payroll contributions, sometimes shared between employer and employee, and pay a percentage of wages during covered leave. The specifics vary by state.
Do small employers have to provide paid sick leave?
It depends on the state. Some sick-leave mandates apply to all employers; others exempt the smallest. Each state's rule is summarised in its full guide.
Can Teamed handle this across multiple states?
Yes. As the legal employer, Teamed applies each state's paid leave rules for your US team, so you hire across the country without setting up payroll or reading the statute in every state. Teamed's HR and legal experts keep it compliant as the law changes.
US employment law is set state by state, and it keeps moving. When Teamed is your legal employer, this is our job in every state: compliant offers, postings and policies that meet each state’s rules, so you can hire across the US without setting up 50 payrolls or reading 50 statutes.
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