Can employers limit how much sick time I use?

Yes. Employers of under 15 employees can limit each employee’s usage of paid sick time to 40 hours per year. Employers of 15 or more employees can limit each employee’s usage of paid sick time to 56 hours per year.

How do the limits work?

The limits on sick time usage depend on the size of your employer:

• Small employers (fewer than 15 employees): Can limit your usage to 40 hours (5 days) per year
• Larger employers (15 or more employees): Can limit your usage to 56 hours (7 days) per year

These are usage limits, not accrual limits. You may continue to accrue sick time beyond these limits, but your employer can cap how much you use within a year.

Can unused sick time carry over to the next year?

Yes, unused sick time generally carries over to the following year. However, employers can still enforce the annual usage limits. This means that even if you carry over hours from the previous year, your employer can still limit how many hours you can actually use each year.