Time off, done right.

Colorado treats earned vacation as wages that cannot be forfeited, and mandates paid sick leave. What Nieto v. Clark's Market changed for every handbook.

Connecticut's sick leave threshold drops each year until it covers every employer in 2027, and you may not ask for a doctor's note. What that changes.

Florida mandates no paid leave and bars cities from requiring it. With no state wage-claim process, your handbook is enforced in court instead.

Illinois requires 40 hours of paid leave usable for any reason, with no documentation. Chicago stacks a second entitlement on top. How the layers work.

Maryland lets you forfeit unused vacation only if you wrote it down first, and its sick leave waiting period is an oddly specific 106 days.

Massachusetts treats vacation as wages under a statute carrying mandatory treble damages. Why the penalty structure matters more than the entitlement.

Minnesota's Earned Sick and Safe Time carries an 80-hour carryover ceiling, and Minneapolis and St. Paul add their own layer. How the stack works.

Nevada mandates paid leave for any reason, but only at 50 or more employees — and new businesses are exempt for their first two years.

New Jersey mandates earned sick leave statewide and overrode all thirteen local ordinances. What one uniform rule changed for employers.

Oregon pairs mandated sick time with Paid Leave Oregon and unusually strict final-paycheck deadlines carrying penalty wages. Where the risk actually sits.

Texas mandates no paid leave at all, which makes your written policy the binding rule. Where employers get caught by their own handbook.

Washington mandates paid sick leave and funds PFML through payroll premiums, but leaves vacation entirely to your policy. Where the lines fall.