Taking time off to take care of your own health or that of a family member can be a trying experience for any employee, and adding to the costs and concerns over wellness looms the possibility that any time you take off from work may go unpaid. Although some employers offer some form of paid sick leave as part of their benefit plans for employees, the reality is that for many employees in the nation, particularly low-income workers and those working for small businesses, paid sick leave is often not a benefit offered by their employer.

Although laws such as the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 have stepped in to allow employees to take unpaid leave in such circumstances, only a handful of states and municipalities offer paid, or partially paid, family or medical leave for employees.

Please select from the list of these states below where you can find a brief summary of their paid family and/or sick leave laws, including states that have passed paid leave laws that are not yet active. It should also be noted that some employers and states offer various types of disability benefits in addition, or supplemental, to the paid leaves provided by the states listed below.

• California Paid Family Leave Law
• New Jersey Family Leave Act
• Connecticut Sick Leave Law
• Washington Family Leave Act
• D.C. Family and Sick Leave - DCFMLA
• Colorado Family Medical Leave Act
• Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave
• Oregon Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance
• Rhode Island Parental & Family Medical Leave Act

Talk to an Employment Law Attorney About Family Leave 

If you are not being given your family leave time as provided for by state or federal law, talk to an employment law attorney for help. An employment lawyer in your area can explain your options, investigate your case, and help you get the time off and pay you deserve to take care of family.