Paid Sick Days and/or Paid Safe Days
Short-term leave, usually taken intermittently in hourly or daily increments
Typical Uses:
- To recover from short-term illnesses (like the flu)
- To care for a sick family member
- To seek preventive care (e.g., well-baby visits, annual physicals)
- For safe days: to seek services or assistance related to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or other forms of gender-based violence.
How It Is Paid:
Paid sick and safe days are fully paid by employers. Employees are paid at the same hourly rate and the pay is included in their regular paycheck.
What You Should Know:
Paid sick and safe days allow workers to accrue and use job-protected time away from work for their and their family’s health, such as to attend doctors’ appointments, pick up sick children, or address needs related to domestic violence or public health emergencies. Nineteen states (including D.C.) and 21 cities and counties have enacted a paid sick days law; 18 states include safe leave.
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Longer-term leave (usually weeks or months, but may be taken intermittently)
Typical Uses:
- To undergo medical treatment or manage a serious illness, injury or disability
- To bond with a new child (newborn, adopted, foster)
- To care for a family member with a serious illness, injury or disability
- For reasons related to a family member’s military service
- For safe leave: to seek services or assistance related to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or other forms of gender-based violence.
How It Is Paid:
Paid family and medical leave is funded by payroll contributions into an insurance fund. Typically, both the employer and employee contribute to the fund.
What You Should Know:
Paid family and medical leave provides workers with paid time away from work to focus on a serious personal health condition, tend to a seriously ill, injured or disabled family member or bond with a new child while maintaining their financial security. Fourteen states, including the District of Columbia, have enacted paid family and medical leave laws. Four of those states include safe leave.
Workers Need Both Paid Sick and Safe Days and Paid Family and Medical Leave
At some point, every person will have a serious health issue or a family member who needs care. At the same time, every person gets sick and needs a day or two to recover. For survivors, paid safe days or longer-term paid safe leave allows survivors to seek the assistance they need to reach a place of safety and security, and maintain greater economic stability. Paid sick and safe days and paid family and medical leave provide workers with the time they need to care for themselves and their families.
The Healthy Families Act would allow workers to earn up to seven paid sick days to use to recover from illness, access preventive care, care for a sick family member, or seek assistance in the event of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Workers in places of employment with fewer than 15 employees would earn up to seven unpaid, job-protected sick days.
The Family And Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act would create a national paid leave insurance program to provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave when a new child arrives or a serious personal or family medical need arises, including needs related to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or other forms of gender-based violence. This national program would build off the progress and precedent set by state paid leave laws.
Who Has Paid Sick Days?
19 States:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Colorado
- California
- Connecticut
- The District of Columbia (D.C.)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
17 Cities and 4 Counties:
- Berkeley, CA
- Emeryville, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Oakland, CA
- Santa Monica, CA
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Chicago, IL
- Cook County, IL
- Montgomery County, MD
- Bloomington, MN
- Duluth, MN
- Minneapolis, MN
- St. Paul, MN
- New York City, NY
- Westchester County, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Allegheny County, PA
- Seattle, WA
- Tacoma, WA
Who Has Paid Family and Medical Leave?
14 States:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- The District of Columbia (D.C.)
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Washington
