Paid Sick Leave Calculator
The state floor is 40 hours a year — several cities require significantly more. Find out which applies to you.
Every California employee gets at least 40 hours (5 days) of paid sick leave per year. Cities including San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and Los Angeles require more for at least some employers — whichever rule is more generous to you applies.
Select your city and employer size to see your paid sick leave entitlement.
Paid Sick Leave Calculator
Your Paid Sick Leave Entitlement
How this is calculated
The tool starts from the state floor of 40 hours/year (accruable at 1 hour per 30 hours worked, capped at 80 hours banked, with at least 24 hours usable by your 120th day of employment), then checks whether your city's ordinance requires more — several cities scale their requirement by employer size (for example, a small-employer tier and a larger-employer tier with more hours).
If your city isn't in our verified list, the state floor applies by default, but you should still check for a local ordinance directly, since this table isn't exhaustive of all California cities with sick leave rules. Whichever number is higher for your specific employer size is your actual entitlement — local ordinances can only add to the state floor, never subtract from it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much paid sick leave am I entitled to in California?
The state floor is 40 hours (5 days) per year, with a 80-hour accrual cap under the standard accrual method. Several cities require more — for example, San Francisco and Oakland require up to 72 hours/year for larger employers.
How does sick leave accrual work?
The standard method is 1 hour accrued for every 30 hours worked, though an employer can front-load the full annual amount at once instead. Either way, you must have access to at least 24 hours by your 120th day of employment.
Does my city's sick leave ordinance replace the state law?
No — whichever is more generous to the employee applies. If your city requires more hours or has broader usage rules than the state floor, the city ordinance controls; where state law is more generous, the state floor applies instead.
Do part-time and temporary employees get paid sick leave?
Yes. California's paid sick leave law covers nearly all employees who work 30+ days within a year for the same employer, regardless of full-time, part-time, or temporary status.
Can unused sick leave be cashed out when I leave a job?
No. Unlike vacation time, accrued but unused paid sick leave does not need to be paid out at termination or resignation under California law.
This tool provides an educational estimate only and covers a partial list of California's local sick leave ordinances. Confirm your exact city's rule with its labor standards office before relying on this figure.