Short answer. 1 hour of leave for every 30 hours worked, starting on the first day of work. Up to 48 hours of paid leave a year; employers need not allow use of more than 48 hours in one benefit year. Use may begin: employees may use accrued leave as soon as it accrues; no probationary period is allowed.
At a glance
- Law
- Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA)
- In effect
- Covers employers of every size; before 2022 employers with 15 or fewer employees were exempt from accrued leave.
- Accrual
- 1 hour of leave for every 30 hours worked, starting on the first day of work.
- Yearly limit
- Up to 48 hours of paid leave a year; employers need not allow use of more than 48 hours in one benefit year.
- Use may begin
- Employees may use accrued leave as soon as it accrues; no probationary period is allowed.
- Agency
- Colorado Division of Labor Standards and Statistics
Example with dates
Suppose someone at an employer in the "any number of employees" group starts on Monday, January 18, 2027 and works 25 hours every week. At 1 hour per 30 hours worked, that's 0.83 hours a week, and the first year comes to 43.33 hours. The latest an employer could hold off use is Monday, January 18, 2027.
- By Sunday, April 18, 2027: 10 hours
- By Sunday, July 18, 2027: 20.83 hours
- By Tuesday, January 18, 2028: 43.33 hours
Your own figures: open the calculator set to Colorado.
What the time covers
The employee's or an immediate family member's mental or physical illness, injury or health condition, and a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault or criminal harassment needing leave for medical attention or related needs. Up to 80 hours of extra public health emergency leave applies when an emergency is declared.
Unused hours at year end
Unused accrued leave, up to 48 hours a benefit year, rolls over to a later year.
Front-loading instead of accrual
The guidance doesn't use the term; employers may offer more leave, allow it for more needs, or let employees take leave before earning it.
Smaller employers and who is covered
Covers all employers of any employees in the state, regardless of industry or size.
Notices, posters and statements
Employers must give employees individual written notices and also display posters on HFWA rights in a conspicuous and accessible place.
Worth knowing
The Division's INFO #6B was last updated February 27, 2026. Covid-19 public health emergency leave ended June 8, 2023; new guidance follows if another emergency is declared.
Not stated on the official pages we read: local ordinances.
Official sources
- INFO #6B: Paid Sick Leave under the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (Colorado Division of Labor Standards and Statistics) (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 Colorado?
1 hour of leave for every 30 hours worked, starting on the first day of work. Up to 48 hours of paid leave a year; employers need not allow use of more than 48 hours in one benefit year.
When can a new employee start using sick leave in Colorado?
Employees may use accrued leave as soon as it accrues; no probationary period is allowed.
Does unused sick time carry over to the next year in Colorado?
Unused accrued leave, up to 48 hours a benefit year, rolls over to a later year.
Can a Colorado employer front-load sick leave instead of tracking accrual?
The guidance doesn't use the term; employers may offer more leave, allow it for more needs, or let employees take leave before earning it.
Do small employers in Colorado have to provide it?
Covers all employers of any employees in the state, regardless of industry or size.
What can Colorado sick leave be used for?
The employee's or an immediate family member's mental or physical illness, injury or health condition, and a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault or criminal harassment needing leave for medical attention or related needs. Up to 80 hours of extra public health emergency leave applies when an emergency is declared.
All states: paid sick leave laws by state · California · Connecticut