--- title: "California Paid Sick Leave Law: 1 Hour per 30 Hours Worked" description: "California paid sick leave: 1 hour per 30 worked, 40 hours a year, day 90 for new hires, carryover and covered uses, from official pages." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/bookkeeping/paid-sick-leave-california" --- Paid sick leave · California # California paid sick leave How employees earn sick time under Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (Labor Code 245-249), as amended by SB 616, the yearly limit, when new hires can use it and what it covers, with a dated example. [![Intuit ProAdvisor Gold tier badge](/img/credentials/intuit-proadvisor-gold.png)](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77)Gold tier in Intuit's ProAdvisor program. [See my Intuit listing](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77) Keeping your own books? Tallyfinch does invoices, bank import and reports on your computer. [See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) **Short answer.** At least 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, or an up-front policy that gives the full amount for the year at once. An employer may limit use to 40 hours or 5 days a year and may cap the total an employee accrues at 80 hours or 10 days. Use may begin: an employee must satisfy a 90-day employment period before taking sick leave. ## At a glance Law Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (Labor Code 245-249), as amended by SB 616 In effect Since January 1, 2024, employers must generally provide 5 days or 40 hours a year (SB 616). Accrual At least 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, or an up-front policy that gives the full amount for the year at once. Yearly limit An employer may limit use to 40 hours or 5 days a year and may cap the total an employee accrues at 80 hours or 10 days. Use may begin An employee must satisfy a 90-day employment period before taking sick leave. Agency California Labor Commissioner (DLSE) ## Example with dates Suppose someone at an employer in the "any number of employees" group starts on Monday, January 11, 2027 and works 24 hours every week. At 1 hour per 30 hours worked, that's 0.80 hours a week, and the first year comes to 41.60 hours, with the yearly use limit of 40 hours reached on Monday, December 27, 2027. The latest an employer could hold off use is Saturday, April 10, 2027. Hiring in another state? [Employer registration in California, done for you](/bookkeeping/out-of-state-employer-registration), or [a free bookkeeping health check](/bookkeeping/health-check). - By Sunday, April 11, 2027: 9.60 hours - By Sunday, July 11, 2027: 20 hours - By Tuesday, January 11, 2028: 41.60 hours Your own figures: [open the calculator set to California](/bookkeeping/sick-leave-accrual-calculator?state=ca). ## What the time covers The employee's own or a family member's health (family includes a parent, child, spouse or registered domestic partner, among others), and for victims of violence, seeking relief such as a temporary restraining order. ## Unused hours at year end Unused accrued leave carries over, though the employer may set a cap by policy (accrual may be capped at 80 hours or 10 days). ## Front-loading instead of accrual Allowed: an up-front policy makes the full year's leave available immediately; new hires have their own timing rules. ## Smaller employers and who is covered The law covers employees who work at least 30 days for the same employer within a year in California. A few uses tied to victims of violence apply only to employers with 25 or more employees. ## Notices, posters and statements Employers must display the poster, give each employee an individual notice, and show the sick leave available on the pay stub or a separate writing each payday. Records are kept for three years. ## City and county rules Yes, local paid sick leave ordinances apply in parts of the state; an employer there follows whichever rule gives employees more. The official page: [California Paid Sick Leave FAQ (local ordinances section)](https://dir.ca.gov/dlse/Paid_Sick_Leave.htm). ## Worth knowing Where a city ordinance gives more paid sick leave, the employer provides the higher amount; on a few topics the state law preempts the local one. ## Official sources - [California Paid Sick Leave: Frequently Asked Questions (Labor Commissioner)](https://dir.ca.gov/dlse/Paid_Sick_Leave.htm) (checked November 2026) Rules as published on the pages above, checked November 2026. General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. A city ordinance, union contract or written policy can give employees more. ## Questions employers ask **How much paid sick leave do employees earn in California?** At least 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, or an up-front policy that gives the full amount for the year at once. An employer may limit use to 40 hours or 5 days a year and may cap the total an employee accrues at 80 hours or 10 days. **When can a new employee start using sick leave in California?** An employee must satisfy a 90-day employment period before taking sick leave. **Does unused sick time carry over to the next year in California?** Unused accrued leave carries over, though the employer may set a cap by policy (accrual may be capped at 80 hours or 10 days). **Can a California employer front-load sick leave instead of tracking accrual?** Allowed: an up-front policy makes the full year's leave available immediately; new hires have their own timing rules. **Do small employers in California have to provide it?** The law covers employees who work at least 30 days for the same employer within a year in California. A few uses tied to victims of violence apply only to employers with 25 or more employees. **What can California sick leave be used for?** The employee's own or a family member's health (family includes a parent, child, spouse or registered domestic partner, among others), and for victims of violence, seeking relief such as a temporary restraining order. All states: [paid sick leave laws by state](/bookkeeping/paid-sick-leave-laws-by-state) · [Arizona](/bookkeeping/paid-sick-leave-arizona) · [Colorado](/bookkeeping/paid-sick-leave-colorado) Tallyfinch ### Books you keep on your own computer Tallyfinch does invoices, bills, bank import, reconciliation and the main reports, in a file you own. $99 once, then $5 a month for updates; the app keeps working if you stop the plan. It does not do payroll or sales tax filing. The free download records up to 60 entries. [See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) [Download it free](/tools/pro/trial/mccBooks) [Compare the three apps](/software) ## Want payroll and leave tracked for you? [See bookkeeping services](/bookkeeping/)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)