Last updated: 2026-09-21.
Statewide MandateHow District of Columbia's real statutory thresholds apply to specific employer profiles. Each section re-frames the state law above for one audience — the underlying figures never change, only the lens does.
For employers with fewer than 15 employees: District of Columbia requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://does.dc.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "1 employee". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For employers with 50 or more employees: District of Columbia requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://does.dc.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "1 employee". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant, café, and food-service operators: District of Columbia requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://does.dc.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including restaurants & food service, use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hr/87 hrs (1-24); 1 hr/43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr/37 hrs (100+), cap 3 days (1-24); 5 days (25-99); 7 days (100+). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores, shops, and chains: District of Columbia requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://does.dc.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including retail employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hr/87 hrs (1-24); 1 hr/43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr/37 hrs (100+), cap 3 days (1-24); 5 days (25-99); 7 days (100+). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics, hospitals, and healthcare staffing: District of Columbia requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://does.dc.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including healthcare employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hr/87 hrs (1-24); 1 hr/43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr/37 hrs (100+), cap 3 days (1-24); 5 days (25-99); 7 days (100+). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hr teams onboarding new employees: District of Columbia requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://does.dc.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "1 employee". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant and food-service operators with fewer than 15 employees: District of Columbia requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://does.dc.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small restaurants (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hr/87 hrs (1-24); 1 hr/43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr/37 hrs (100+), cap 3 days (1-24); 5 days (25-99); 7 days (100+). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant groups and chains with 50 or more employees: District of Columbia requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://does.dc.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large restaurants & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hr/87 hrs (1-24); 1 hr/43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr/37 hrs (100+), cap 3 days (1-24); 5 days (25-99); 7 days (100+). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores and shops with fewer than 15 employees: District of Columbia requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://does.dc.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small retail (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hr/87 hrs (1-24); 1 hr/43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr/37 hrs (100+), cap 3 days (1-24); 5 days (25-99); 7 days (100+). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail chains with 50 or more employees: District of Columbia requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://does.dc.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large retail & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hr/87 hrs (1-24); 1 hr/43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr/37 hrs (100+), cap 3 days (1-24); 5 days (25-99); 7 days (100+). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics and healthcare practices with fewer than 15 employees: District of Columbia requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://does.dc.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small healthcare (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hr/87 hrs (1-24); 1 hr/43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr/37 hrs (100+), cap 3 days (1-24); 5 days (25-99); 7 days (100+). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hospitals and healthcare systems with 50 or more employees: District of Columbia requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://does.dc.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large healthcare systems (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hr/87 hrs (1-24); 1 hr/43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr/37 hrs (100+), cap 3 days (1-24); 5 days (25-99); 7 days (100+). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Statewide mandate | Yes |
| Employer threshold | 1 employee |
| Accrual rate | 1 hr/87 hrs (1-24); 1 hr/43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr/37 hrs (100+) |
| Max accrual / year | 3 days (1-24); 5 days (25-99); 7 days (100+) |
| Paid or unpaid | paid |
| Carryover | Yes |
| Qualified reasons | Broad DC FMLA-style paid leave. |
| Effective date | Nov 13, 2008 (ASSLA; FY2026 rates updated Oct 1, 2025) |
| Official source | https://does.dc.gov/ ↗ |
The District has no federal paid sick-leave floor — the FFCRA expired and the Healthy Families Act has not passed. The federal FMLA is unpaid and limited to 50+ employee employers, and it does not apply to DC's local government workforce the same way. DC's Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act (ASSLA, D.C. Code §§ 32-531 et seq.) requires paid sick and safe leave for virtually every employer from the first employee, with tiered accrual by size (1 hr/87 hrs for 1–24, 1 hr/43 hrs for 25–99, 1 hr/37 hrs for 100+), and safe-leave reasons with no federal analog. DC also runs a separate, broader Paid Family Leave insurance program.
DC's ASSLA is one of the oldest and most generous in the country. Among nearby jurisdictions, Maryland (HWFA, 1 hr/30 hrs, 15+ employees, includes safe leave) and Virginia (no statewide mandate) bracket it; Virginia employers must follow federal FMLA only. DC's size-tiered accrual is distinctive — small employers accrue slowly (1:87) but still must pay, while 100+ employers accrue fast (1:37). The tipped-restaurant rate (1 hr/43 hrs, 40-hr cap) and the lack of any accrual cap on carryover make DC unusually protective. DC's separate Paid Family Leave program (up to 12 weeks, funded by payroll tax) has no equivalent in Maryland or Virginia.
| Year | Change |
|---|---|
| 2008 (eff. Nov 13, 2008) | Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act enacted (B18-0665); first-in-the-nation broad paid sick & safe leave for nearly all DC employers. |
| Annual | Accrual amounts and the tipped-employee rate are adjusted each fiscal year (FY2026 rates reflect the Oct 1, 2025 update); the DC minimum wage also rises (to $18.40 from Jul 1, 2026 under recent law). |
| 2026 | No change to ASSLA's structure tracked; DC Paid Family Leave continues to expand benefit duration/access. |
Employers in District of Columbia most often trip on the items below. Amounts are typical statutory ranges — confirm the current figure with the state labor department before acting.
| Violation | Typical penalty / fine | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Failing to provide accrued sick/safe leave or denying use | DC DOES enforces; penalties escalate per violation, with higher penalties for retaliation and for willful violations — confirm current dollar figures with DOES. | Applying the wrong size tier (e.g., treating a 25-employee firm as 1:87) is a frequent error. |
| Retaliation | Expressly prohibited; employees may recover back pay, reinstatement, and damages. | 'Use-it-or-lose-it' policies that violate DC's uncapped carryover rule are a common violation. |
| Wrong accrual tier for tipped restaurants | Tipped-restaurant employers must use the 1 hr/43 hrs, 40-hr cap rate regardless of headcount — misclassifying as the 1–24 tier under-credits workers. | Track the annual FY rate update each Oct 1. |
Use the button below to print or save a one-page compliance summary for District of Columbia. It includes the state law table and any local ordinances above.
Yes. District of Columbia requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. Accrual is 1 hr/87 hrs (1-24); 1 hr/43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr/37 hrs (100+), capped at 3 days (1-24); 5 days (25-99); 7 days (100+), with carryover Yes.
Employees accrue 1 hr/87 hrs (1-24); 1 hr/43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr/37 hrs (100+). The max accrual is 3 days (1-24); 5 days (25-99); 7 days (100+).
No local ordinances are tracked for District of Columbia beyond the state law.
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