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

COBRA - Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) covers health insurance plans when qualified workers and their families lose their employers' general health care coverage. Employers must be knowledgeable about everything…
State-by-state 2012 short-term child-care leave laws The federal FMLA doesn’t cover employees who take time off for school visits or to care for kids who aren’t seriously ill but who must stay home from school. Some…
FMLA - Family and Medical Leave Act The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires employers to grant unpaid leave for eligible employees who meet certain criteria. FMLA regulations specify the details of who is covered and who isn’t;…

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