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 paid time off to workers for treatment, diagnosis or preventative care for themselves, a family member or a designated person. Starting January 1, 2024, employers must provide at least 40 hours or five 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.

No longer available: Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for COVID-19 (SPSL)

Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) for COVID-19 was a law in 2021 and 2022 that required employers to provide additional paid time off for certain COVID-19 reasons. The law expired on December 31, 2022. Read more about 2022 SPSL if you think you should have received this additional paid time off due to COVID-19 in 2021 or 2022. .

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 illness or injury, including laws on paid family leave, paid sick leave and disability payments.
    Paid Leave Options       Beneficios de permisos

December 2023