State-by-state 2013 short-term child-care leave laws

Here’s a chart summarizing states’ paid and unpaid short-term leave laws. In most cases, leave is unpaid, but employees may substitute paid leave. States that don’t have laws aren’t listed.

CALIFORNIA

Coverage: All employers
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid, as needed for school conference for suspended child; accrued leave for sick child

Coverage: Employees who have worked for at least 12 months and who have worked 1,250 hours
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 40 hours per child a year (8 hours a month) for school activities

Coverage: Employers of 50 employees or more within 75 miles of work site; employee works 1 year and 1,250 hours
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 12 weeks in 12 months for sick child

Coverage: Employees who pay into SDI program
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Paid state benefit; up to 6 weeks to care for seriously ill child

COLORADO

Coverage: All employers; employee works 1 year
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 3 months for sick child

Coverage: Employers of 50 employees; nonsupervisory employees
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 6 hours a month (18 hours a school year) for school activities

CONNECTICUT

Coverage: Employers of 75 employees or more; employee works 1 year and 1,000 hours
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 16 weeks in 24 months for sick child

Coverage: Employers of 50 or more service workers during any quarter of preceding year; employee works 680 hours and average of 10 hours a week during preceding quarter
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Paid; up to 40 hours per year for sick child

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Coverage: Employers of 20 or more employees; employee works 1 year and 1,000 hours
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 16 weeks in 24 months for sick child

Coverage: All employers
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 24 hours in 12 months for school activities

Coverage: Employers of 24 or more; employee works for 1 year and 1,000 hours during immediately preceding 12 months
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Paid; leave varies depending on employer size; for sick child

HAWAII

Coverage: Employers of 100 or more employees; employee works 6 months
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 4 weeks in 12 months for child’s serious illness

ILLINOIS

Coverage: Employers of 50 or more employees; employee works 6 months and weekly hours average ½ full time hours
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid, if all accrued leave other than sick/disability exhausted; up to 4 hours a day (8 hours a year) for school activities

LOUISIANA

Coverage: All employers    
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; at employer’s discretion, up to 16 hours a year for school activities

MAINE

Coverage: Employers of 15 or more; employee works 1 year
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 10 weeks in 24 months for child’s serious illness

MARYLAND

Coverage: Employers of 15 or more
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Paid; to care for sick child, if company policy is to pay for maternity leave

MASSACHUSETTS

Coverage: Employers of 50 or more employees; employee works 12 months and 1,250 hours
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 24 hours in 12 months for school activities or doctor’s appointment

MINNESOTA

Coverage: All employers    
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 16 hours for school activities

NEVADA

Coverage: All employers    
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; employees can’t be fired for attending a school conference or emergency

Coverage: Employers of 50 or more employees for 20 weeks in current year
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 4 hours per child, per school year, for school activities; leave must be taken in 1-hour increments

NEW JERSEY

Coverage: Employers of 50 or more employees; employee works 1 year and 1,000 hours
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 12 weeks in 24 months for sick child

Coverage: Employees who pay into SDI program
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Paid state benefit; up to 6 weeks in 12 months to care for sick child

NORTH CAROLINA

Coverage: All employers    
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 4 hours in 12 months for school activities

OREGON

Coverage: Employers of 25 or more for 20 weeks in current or preceding year; employee works 180 days a year and 25 hours a week
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 12 weeks in 12 months for child who isn’t seriously ill but needs home care; additional 12 weeks if employee has already taken 12 weeks for birth of child if child needs home care

RHODE ISLAND

Coverage: Employers of 50 or more employees; employee works 1 year and 30 hours a week
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 13 weeks in 24 months for sick child

Coverage: Employers of 50 or more employees; employee works 12 months
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 10 hours in 12 months for school activities

VERMONT

Coverage: Employers of 15 or more employees; employee works 1 year and 30 hours a week    
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 12 weeks in 12 months for sick child
Unpaid; up to 4 hours in 30-day period (up to 24 hours in 12 months) for school activities or medical appointments

WASHINGTON

Coverage: Employers of 50 or more employees in 20 weeks during current or preceding year; employee works 12 months and 1,250 hours
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 12 weeks in 12 months for child’s serious illness

WISCONSIN

Coverage: Employers of 50 or more employees; employee works 1 year and 1,000 hours
Leave/Maximum Time Available: Unpaid; up to 2 weeks for sick child