All employees have the right to Paid Sick Leave in California and on January 1, 2024 the amount of time an employee can take will increase. Since 2015, California full-time and part-time workers at employers of any size have had the right to take a minimum of 3 paid sick days (or 24 hours), in 2024 the minimum will increase to 5 day, (40 hours).
As long as you have worked for the same employer for at least 30 days, you are entitled to accrue these paid sick days, though your employer can prevent you from using your accrued hours until your 90th day of employment.
Also starting January 1, 2024, the cap of accrued paid sick hours will increase from 48 hours ( 6 days) of paid sick leave in a calendar year to 80 hours, or 10 days.
The California Labor Commissioner’s Office remains the primary agency charged with enforcing California’s paid sick day law. Their FAQ’s provide additional information and are available here.
The Center for Workers’ Rights has been an advocate for the increase in Paid Sick Leave for Californian workers, and we are excited to be able to share this information with you! If you have questions regarding how your employer is calculating your Paid Sick Leave accrual, when you are able to use it, or if you haven’t been able to take paid sick days, please call our hotline at 916-905-5857. We are here to answer your questions Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:30pm. Language services are available!