The Patchwork Of State Paid Leave Laws

There are a number of state specific paid leave laws that fall into two main categories: (1) sick leave, which entitles employees who work for covered employers to accrue paid sick leave; and (2) family leave, which entitles employees who work for covered employers to be compensated for attending to family caregiving needs, such as the birth/adoption of a child or to care for a close family member with a serious medical condition.

This patchwork of paid sick and family leave laws certainly makes compliance difficult for national employers or any employer that operates in more than one state. As paid leave laws and paid family leave programs proliferate through additional states, national employers may join worker advocacy groups in pressuring the Federal Government to enact some uniform standard; however, all proposed federal legislation would set a federal standard, but would not pre-empt the states from adopting broader protections.