A number of states have added their own protections for employees who are required to take time off from work for medical or family reasons, including military leave. It's important to note that these provisions are either equal to, or greater than, those provided by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. Even with the FMLA as the base, each state can vary greatly with respect to leave laws. Below you can find information on state paid sick leave laws, family leave provisions, and additional information related to the provision of time off for medical reasons.
California Paid Family Leave Laws
California's Paid Family Leave (PFL) law provides coverage for a portion of a qualifying employee's wages when they take time off to care for qualifying family members or a new child. The law provides coverage for any employee covered by disability insurance, a payroll deduction. PFL provides qualified employees with 55% of their base wages, which is capped at $987 per week. These benefits can last for up to six weeks. The law provides coverage for those with a newborn baby, adopted or foster child, or to care for a seriously ill parent, child, spouse, or registered domestic partner. Paid leave is not provided by law for an employee's own illness except in San Francisco. The city's Paid Sick Leave Ordinance provides paid sick leave to full or part time employees accruing at a rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours of time worked, capping at 40 or 72 hours depending on the size of the employer.
Connecticut Sick Leave Law
Connecticut's Paid Sick Leave Act makes it the first state to mandate paid sick leave for qualifying employees. The law covers employers with 50 or more employees. Qualifying employees must be hourly service workers and does not cover exempt, salaried employees, or day laborers. Covered employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours they work, maxing out at 40 hours. Up to 5 days of paid sick leave can be carried over from one year to the next, but only 5 days can be used in any calendar year. This leave is available for the worker's illness, diagnosis, or treatment relating to a mental or physical illness, injury, or condition. Leave may also be taken for a spouse or child's illness.
New Jersey Family Leave Insurance
New Jersey's Family Leave Insurance (FLI) program provides qualified individuals with partial wage-replacement benefits to employees who take leave to care for sick family members or bond with a new child. Although the law provides for compensation the leave itself is not guaranteed by the law and may instead be provided by the FMLA or the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA). Employees who pay state family leave insurance through payroll deductions are subject to this law, though wage requirements also apply. The law provides 2/3 of the employee's average weekly wage up to $559 a week for up to 6 weeks within a 12 month period.
