Work · Paid sick leave
Paid Sick Leave Law in Pennsylvania
Whether an employer in Pennsylvania must provide paid sick leave, how much you accrue, who is covered, and whether a city ordinance fills the gap where the state has no mandate. Cited to the statute.
What the paid sick leave law requires in Pennsylvania
Who must provide it, how leave accrues and caps, and the workers the rule does not reach.
Paid-sick-leave law changes quickly, with new state proposals and city ordinances arriving regularly. Pennsylvania is currently silent statewide, but Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allegheny County have local rules that are updated periodically. Confirm the current statewide status and any local ordinance before relying on it.
| What the law requires | What it means |
|---|---|
| No statewide requirement for private employers | Pennsylvania Title 43 (Labor) has no provision requiring a private employer to provide paid sick leave, paid time off, or paid vacation. There is nothing to cite as a statewide requirement because the state has never enacted one, so Pennsylvania is silent on the point. |
| Some cities require it locally | Philadelphia and Pittsburgh each require paid sick leave by ordinance for employers within their borders. Philadelphia covers employers with 10 or more employees, with accrual of one hour per 40 hours worked up to 40 hours a year. Pittsburgh has its own Paid Sick Days Act. |
| Company policy governs elsewhere | Outside a city with an ordinance, any paid sick leave a Pennsylvania worker has comes from the employer own policy or a contract. Once an employer promises paid sick leave in a policy, that promise can be enforceable on its own terms. |
| Where it does not apply | What it means |
|---|---|
| A local ordinance can require it in some cities | The statewide silence does not reach Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, where local paid-sick-leave laws apply. A worker in one of those cities may be entitled to paid sick leave the rest of the state does not guarantee, so the place of work matters. |
| Federal unpaid leave still applies | A covered employer must still provide job-protected leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, but that leave is unpaid. The federal law sits on top of Pennsylvania silence and does not create a paid-sick-leave right. |
| A multi-state employer may owe leave elsewhere | An employer based in Pennsylvania with workers in a state that requires paid sick leave, such as New York or New Jersey, must follow that state rule for those workers. The absence of a statewide Pennsylvania law does not cancel another state requirement. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps around sick leave in Pennsylvania. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Check the city and county first
If you work in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, or Allegheny County, a local ordinance may require paid sick leave. Confirm the local rule before assuming the statewide silence applies to you.
- Read the employer policy
Outside a city with an ordinance, your paid sick leave comes from the employer own policy. Check the handbook or offer letter for accrual, carryover, and payout terms.
- Use federal unpaid leave if eligible
If you and your employer are covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, you may take job-protected but unpaid leave for a serious health condition. That is separate from any paid policy.
- Check other states if you work across lines
If you sometimes work in a state that requires paid sick leave, such as New York or New Jersey, that state rule may reach your hours there even though your employer is in Pennsylvania.
If you were denied leave the law provides, the state labor department takes complaints and can explain the accrual rules and any penalty. Where the state has no mandate, check your city.
→ Pennsylvania Department of Labor and IndustryThis is general legal information, not legal advice. Accrual, caps, and city ordinances turn on employer size and location, so confirm your situation against the statute.
What workers in Pennsylvania get wrong about paid sick leave
Pennsylvania has no statewide paid-sick-leave requirement for private employers, but the answer changes in some cities. No Pennsylvania statute makes a private employer offer paid sick leave, paid time off, or paid vacation, so across most of the state any leave a worker has comes from company policy or a contract. Title 43 of the Pennsylvania Statutes, the labor title, covers wage payment and the minimum wage, and none of it creates a sick-leave duty. Two cities are different. Philadelphia Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Ordinance requires employers with 10 or more employees to provide paid sick leave, accrued at one hour per 40 hours worked up to 40 hours a year, and Pittsburgh has its own Paid Sick Days Act, with amounts rising in 2026. Allegheny County has acted too. So where you work in Pennsylvania matters: a city ordinance may guarantee paid sick leave that the state does not.
Common questions
Does Pennsylvania require paid sick leave?
No, not statewide. Pennsylvania has no state law requiring a private employer to provide paid sick leave. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh require it by local ordinance, but the rest of the state does not.
How much sick leave do you get in Pennsylvania?
Outside a city with an ordinance, whatever the employer chooses to offer, because state law sets no minimum. In Philadelphia, covered workers accrue one hour per 40 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year.
Do Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have their own rules?
Yes. Both require paid sick leave for employers within the city. Philadelphia covers employers with 10 or more employees, and Pittsburgh has its own Paid Sick Days Act. Allegheny County has also enacted an ordinance.
Is there any leave Pennsylvania employers must provide?
Covered employers must provide job-protected leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, but that leave is unpaid. Pennsylvania itself does not require paid sick leave statewide.
What if I work in Pennsylvania for a company based elsewhere?
Your Pennsylvania hours are generally governed by Pennsylvania law, with no statewide mandate. But a city ordinance where you work, or another state where you also work, can require paid sick leave.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.