If you miss work because you or a family member is ill, injured, needs medical treatment or
psychological counseling or therapy, your employer may be required to provide you with paid
sick leave for missed work days.
Am I Covered by the D.C. Sick and Safe Leave Act?
This law applies to you if you regularly spend all or just over half your working time in the
District of Columbia (even if your employer’s offices are located out-of-state) or if you spend at
least one quarter of your working time in the District of Columbia and your employer has offices
there.
If I Qualify, How Much Paid Sick Leave Do I Get?
Depending on the size of your employer, you are entitled to receive anywhere from 3 to 7 days
of paid sick leave per year, which continues to accumulate from year to year, as long as you
remain employed with the same employer. You begin accumulating sick leave each week after
being employed for 90 days. You are not entitled to more paid-sick leave than you have earned.
How Do I Request Paid Sick-Leave?
If you wish to take paid-sick leave, you must provide advanced written notice to your employer
of the number of days you plan to use and the reasons.
What Happens If My Employer Refuses to Give Me Paid Sick-Leave?
If you actually take sick leave for your own illness or for that of an immediate family member
and your employer does not provide the paid-sick leave required, you can bring a law suit against
your employer and recover up to four times the amount of the paid sick-leave to which you were
entitled.
Do you have questions?
If you have questions about this law, contact a lawyer who has experience in this area of the law.
This information is not intended to be legal advice. Consult a lawyer for individual advice
regarding your situation.