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Mandatory Paid Sick Time Spreading Across the Country
This spring Vermont joined four other states and the District of Columbia in mandating employers provide their employees paid sick time. Paid sick time is also guaranteed by 24 cities and one county in the US.
The United States is the only high-income country in the world without laws guaranteeing paid leave nationwide.
On the Federal level, New York Senator Kristen Gillibrand and Connecticut Representative Rosa DeLauro have introduced the FAMILY Act which would provide pay benefits equal to 66% of wages for up to 12 weeks of medical or family leave. This legislation has been endorsed by Bernie Sanders. Hillary Clinton has proposed a similar policy.
| State | When effective? | Who is Covered? | How are Paid Sick Hours Accrued? | Minimum Sick Time per Year? | More Info |
| California | 2015 | Workers employed for more than 30 days per year | 1 per 30 hours worked | 24hrs | CA Department of Industrial Relations |
| Connecticut | 2012 | Hourly wokrers in certain service occupations | 1 per 40 hours worked | 40hrs | CT Department of Labor |
| Massachusetts | 2015 | Employees at firms with more than 11 employees | 1 per 30 hours worked | 40hrs | MA Attorney General |
| Oregon | 2016 | Employees at firms with more than 10 employees | 1 per 30 hours worked | 40hrs | Oregon.gov |
| Vermont | 2017 | Workers who average 18 or more hours per week | 1 per 52 hours worked | 2017: 24hrs 2018 - : 40hrs | National Law Review |
| Washington DC | 2008 | All employees | 1 per 37 - 87 hours worked (depending on firm size) | 3 - 7 days (depending on firms size) | DC Department of Employment Services |
Links:
Gov. Peter Shumlin Signs Paid Sick Days Bill into Law (Vermont.gov, March 9, 2016)
Current Paid Sick Day Laws (National Partnership for Women & Families, April 12, 2016)
Lots Of Other Countries Mandate Paid Leave. Why Not The U.S.? (NPR, July 15, 2015)
Senator Gillibrand Announces Legislation to Provide Every American Worker With Paid Leave (Gillibrand.Senate.gov, March 18, 2015)
Clinton Offers New Details About Paid Family Leave Plan (The Wall Street Journal, January 7, 2016)