Paid leave laws by state: family, medical and sick leave mandates
There is no federal paid-leave mandate. As of 24 September 2026, 13 US jurisdictions run a paid family and medical leave program and 21 mandate paid sick leave.
Virginia workers will get paid sick days
What happened
Virginia signed a law on 20 May that gives workers paid sick time. Workers earn 1 hour of sick pay for every 30 hours they work, up to 5 days a year. It starts in July 2027, with bigger employers first.
What it means for you
If you have staff in Virginia, write a sick pay policy before July 2027. Check Connecticut too, where even the smallest employers must give paid sick days from January 2027.
Dates to know
- 1 January 2027Connecticut paid sick leave covers employers with 1 or more staff.
- July 2027Virginia paid sick leave starts for larger employers.
- January 2028Maryland paid family and medical leave starts paying out.
- December 2028Virginia paid family and medical leave starts paying out.
Source: Office of the Governor of Virginia. 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 24 September 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 24 September 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 and must start paying benefits by January 2028, on a date its Secretary of Labor sets, and Virginia pays benefits from December 2028. The table shows each state's program and its in-force date.
Hiring across the US?
What Teamed handles for paid leave across the US
Teamed employs your US team as Employer of Record, so paid leave sits with us: sick leave accrual, and payroll contributions to a state family and medical leave scheme.
These sit with us
- Sick leave accrued at each state's rate
- Family and medical leave contributions registered and filed
- Contributions started on each state's phase-in date
- Local sick leave ordinances applied where they exist
- Employer size thresholds checked per state
You keep
Approving who takes leave and when, plus any paid leave you offer above the state minimum.
Most states still have no statewide paid leave mandate. In Maryland and Virginia, payroll contributions start before any employee can claim a benefit.
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 to begin by 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.
