1. Labor Commissioner's Office

Paid Sick Leave in California

In California, most workers earn Paid Sick Leave to take time off work to care for themself or a family member. Read about the different types of Paid Sick Leave below.

Paid Sick Leave (PSL)

Paid Sick Leave (PSL) is a permanent law in California that requires employers to provide at least 24 hours or three days off each year to most workers. This includes full-time, part-time and temporary workers who meet these qualifications:

  • Work for the same employer for at least 30 days within a year in California, and
  • Complete a 90-day employment period before taking any paid sick leave

PSL can be used to:

  • Recover from physical/mental illness or injury
  • To seek medical diagnosis, treatment, or preventative care
  • To care for a family member who is ill or needs medical diagnosis, treatment, or preventative care

Employers can choose to provide more PSL hours or days off. Employers can choose to have a PSL policy that provides all of the hours at one time, or the policy can require employees to earn the paid sick leave hours in an accrual plan. Employees under an accrual plan must earn at least one hour of paid sick leave for each 30 hours of work.
Read more about this: Permanent Paid Sick Leave law that took effect in 2015.

Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for COVID-19 (SPSL)

Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for COVID-19 is a new law from 2021 that required employers to provide additional paid time off for certain COVID-19 reasons. A similar SPSL law for 2022 was in effect until December 31, 2022.
Read more about 2022 SPSL.

Other Paid Leave Options

  • There is no legal requirement in California that an employer provide either paid or unpaid vacation time. However, if an employer does have an paid vacation agreement, then certain restrictions are placed on the employer for fulling their obligation to provide vacation pay.
    Read more about Vacation Pay.
  • Paid Leave Options Chart provides an overview of paid leave laws that may cover California workers affected by COVID-19 including laws on paid family leave, paid sick leave and COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave.
    Paid Leave Options       Beneficios de permisos

January 2023