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Sick Leave Policy template

Paid and unpaid sick leave aligned with state/local mandates, including notice requirements and documentation.

Legal basis
  • No federal minimum; state/local paid sick leave laws (CA, NY, NJ, MA, OR, WA, CT, AZ, MD, MI, RI, VT, NV, NM, CO, IL et al., and 30+ cities)
  • FMLA for serious conditions
Last reviewed April 2026. Guidance, not legal advice.

What the policy covers

  1. PURPOSE
    Provides paid and unpaid sick leave consistent with applicable state and local law, supporting employees who are unable to work due to illness, injury, or the care of a covered fam
  2. ENTITLEMENT
    Employees accrue sick leave at the minimum rate required by applicable state or local law, or at the following company standard, whichever is greater:
  3. DEFINITION OF FAMILY MEMBER
    Generally includes: spouse / registered domestic partner, child (biological, adopted, foster, stepchild, legal ward, child of domestic partner), parent (including in-loco-parentis)
  4. NOTICE
    Employees should give as much advance notice as practicable.
  5. DOCUMENTATION
    Documentation may be requested for absences exceeding … consecutive days, subject to state law limits on what may be required.
  6. CARRYOVER
    Unused accrued sick leave carries over per state law.
  7. PAYOUT AT SEPARATION
    Accrued sick leave is generally not paid out at separation, except where state law requires (e.g., where sick leave is combined with PTO into a single bank).
  8. NO RETALIATION
    Using sick leave for a qualifying reason is protected.

Who needs it

Any employer whose people can get hurt, handle personal data or spend company money. Inspectors, insurers and regulators ask to see these first.

Questions people ask

Is a sick leave policy a legal requirement?

It rests on No federal minimum; state/local paid sick leave laws (CA, NY, NJ, MA, OR, WA, CT, AZ, MD, MI, RI, VT, NV, NM, CO, IL et al., and 30+ cities) and FMLA for serious conditions. Some policies must be written down once a business reaches a certain size or does certain work; others are simply how a tribunal, an inspector or an auditor expects to see that you have thought about it. A clear, dated, signed policy is the evidence either way. Guidance, not legal advice.

Can I change it to suit how we work?

Yes. Inside Work-Lynx it is a starting point: put your company name in, adjust the arrangements to what you actually do, set the review date and publish it. Staff read and acknowledge it on their phones, and you can see who has not.

Is it up to date?

Last reviewed April 2026. The pack is updated when the law moves, and every policy carries a review date so it does not quietly go stale.

How do I get it?

It is preloaded in Work-Lynx with the other 28 policies for the US. Work-Lynx is $3 plus $1.25 per employee, 14 days free, no card, and what you see on the pricing page is the bill.

Who is it for?

Any employer whose people can get hurt, handle personal data or spend company money. Inspectors, insurers and regulators ask to see these first.

All 29 US policies, $3 a month

This policy and 28 others are already in Work-Lynx, alongside GPS clock-in, schedules, timesheets, PTO and an employment-question advisor. $3 base plus $1.25 per employee a month. 14 days free, no card, no sales call.

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