Last reviewed: November 3, 2026. We'll update this page as states publish their 2027 figures.
In 2027, Connecticut's paid sick leave law reaches every employer with one or more employees, Maryland starts collecting contributions for its new paid family and medical leave program, and Virginia's first general paid sick leave law takes effect July 1. Most of the 12 states and the District of Columbia with existing paid family and medical leave programs also set new contribution rates, wage caps or benefit maximums, and Washington extends job protection to employers with 15 or more employees. This guide lists each change by state, with the date it takes effect and the figures each state has published so far.
For the other 2027 labor law changes, including minimum wage and federal rules, see Navigating Labor Law Changes: 2027 Edition.
Table of Contents
- 2027 Leave Changes by Date
- New and Expanded Paid Sick Leave Laws
- Maryland's New Paid Family and Medical Leave Program
- 2027 Changes to Existing Paid Family and Medical Leave Programs
- Other Leave Law Changes for 2027
- Notices and Posters
- What Employers Should Do Now
- FAQ
2027 Leave Changes by Date
| Date | Change | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2027 | Connecticut paid sick leave covers employers with one or more employees | Connecticut employers with 1 to 10 employees |
| January 1, 2027 | Maryland FAMLI contributions begin at 0.9% of wages | Maryland employers |
| January 1, 2027 | New contribution rates, wage caps or benefit maximums in several paid family and medical leave states | Employers in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Washington and other program states |
| January 1, 2027 | Washington paid family and medical leave job protection reaches employers with 15 or more employees | Washington employers with 15 to 24 employees |
| January 1, 2027 | Rhode Island raises its temporary disability and caregiver benefit formula | Rhode Island employees filing claims |
| January 1, 2027 | Illinois paid jury duty; expanded volunteer emergency worker protections | Illinois employers with more than 25 employees (jury duty); all employers of volunteer emergency workers |
| April 30, 2027 | First Maryland FAMLI quarterly payment due | Maryland employers |
| July 1, 2027 | Virginia paid sick leave takes effect for employers with 50 or more employees | Virginia employers |
| July 2027 | Maryland FAMLI leave and benefits notice to employees | Maryland employers |
New and Expanded Paid Sick Leave Laws
Connecticut: All Employers From January 1, 2027
Connecticut's paid sick leave law (Public Act 24-8) finishes its phase-in on January 1, 2027, when it covers every employer with one or more employees in the state. Employers with 25 or more employees were covered in 2025, and those with 11 or more in 2026. Employer size is based on payroll for the week that includes January 1.
- Accrual: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year. Employers may front-load the full 40 hours.
- Carryover: up to 40 unused hours carry into the next year, but use stays capped at 40 hours a year.
- Waiting period: new employees can use leave 120 calendar days after hire.
- Pay: the employee's normal hourly wage or the state minimum wage, whichever is higher.
- Uses: the employee's or a family member's illness, injury, treatment or preventive care, mental health wellness days, public health emergency closures, and needs related to family violence or sexual assault.
- Notice: covered employers must display the state's paid sick leave poster in English and Spanish and give each employee written notice at hire. Seasonal employees (120 days or less a year) are excluded from coverage.
Virginia: Phased In From July 1, 2027
Virginia's new paid sick leave law (2026 Acts of Assembly, chapter 1128, codified at Va. Code § 40.1-33.6:1 and following sections) is the state's first general paid sick leave requirement. It phases in by employer size:
- July 1, 2027: employers with 50 or more employees
- January 1, 2028: employers with 25 or more employees
- January 1, 2029: all employers
Employees accrue 1 hour for every 30 hours worked from the start of employment, up to 40 hours a year unless the employer allows more. Unused leave carries over unless the employer front-loads 40 hours at the start of each year. Leave can be used for the employee's or a family member's illness, injury, treatment or preventive care, and for needs related to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Employers may ask for documentation after three or more consecutive workdays. An existing paid time off policy that meets these terms satisfies the law.
The Commissioner of Labor and Industry will issue regulations setting the written notice and workplace posting requirements. Penalties run up to $150 for a first violation, $300 for a second within two years, and $500 for each later violation. Home health workers already covered by Virginia's 2021 paid sick leave law stay under that law.
Maryland's New Paid Family and Medical Leave Program
Maryland's Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program begins collecting contributions on January 1, 2027. Benefits begin in January 2028.
- Rate: 0.9% of wages, up to the Social Security wage base ($192,300 in 2027).
- Who pays: employers and employees each pay 0.45%. Employers may deduct up to half from wages, or pay the full amount.
- Small employers: employers with fewer than 15 employees, counting employees in all states, owe no employer share but must still send in the employee share.
- Payments: due quarterly. The first payment, for January through March 2027 wages, is due April 30, 2027.
- Notices: employers must tell employees one pay period before deductions begin. A notice explaining leave rights and benefits is due starting July 2027, then at hire, every year and when an employee asks for leave.
- Benefits from January 2028: up to 12 weeks in a 12-month period (up to 24 weeks for an employee who has both a serious health condition and a new child), with a maximum weekly benefit of $1,000.
2027 Changes to Existing Paid Family and Medical Leave Programs
Twelve states and the District of Columbia already run paid family and medical leave programs, and most adjust their figures each year. The table shows each program's 2027 figures as published by the state agency. Figures marked pending had not been published as of the date at the top of this page. Several states change their maximum benefit on dates other than January 1, as noted.
| State | 2027 contribution rate | Who pays | Wage cap | Maximum weekly benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California (State Disability Insurance) | 1.4% (up from 1.3%) | Employees | None | Pending (2026: $1,765) |
| Colorado (FAMLI) | 0.86% (down from 0.88%) | Split evenly in 2026; 2027 split pending. Employers with fewer than 10 employees owe no employer share | Pending (2026: $184,500) | Pending (2026: $1,448.02) |
| Connecticut (CT Paid Leave) | Pending (2026: 0.5%) | Employees | Social Security wage base ($192,300) | Pending (2026: $1,016.40) |
| Delaware (Paid Leave) | 0.8% (set in law) | Employers may deduct up to half | Social Security wage base ($192,300) | $900 |
| District of Columbia | 0.75% | Employers only | No cap stated by the program | $1,100 (from October 1, 2026) |
| Maine (Paid Family and Medical Leave) | 1.0% (fixed through 2027) | Employers with 15 or more employees may deduct up to 0.5%; employers with fewer than 15 send in only 0.5%, which may be fully deducted | Social Security wage base ($192,300) | $1,249.12 (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) |
| Massachusetts (PFML) | 0.88% for employers with 25 or more covered individuals; 0.46% for smaller employers | Shared for employers with 25 or more; smaller employers owe no employer share | Social Security wage base ($192,300) | $1,284.61 |
| Minnesota (Paid Leave) | 0.88% (unchanged); 0.66% for qualifying small employers | Employers pay at least half; employees up to 0.44% | Social Security wage base ($192,300) | $1,475.09 (from October 25, 2026) |
| New Jersey (TDI and Family Leave Insurance) | Workers: 0.24% TDI and 0.24% FLI; employer TDI rate varies by employer | Shared for TDI; employees only for FLI | $177,100 for workers (proposed) | $1,158 (proposed) |
| New York (Paid Family Leave) | 0.452%, up to $451.81 a year | Employees | Built into the annual maximum | $1,287.91 |
| Oregon (Paid Leave Oregon) | Pending; rates go to employers by November 13, 2026 (2026: 1%) | Employees 60%, employers with 25 or more employees 40% (2026) | Pending (2026: $184,500) | $1,692.16 (since June 28, 2026) |
| Rhode Island (TDI and TCI) | Pending; usually announced in December (2026: 1.1%) | Employees | Pending (2026: $100,000) | $1,150, or up to $1,552 with dependents (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) |
| Washington (Paid Family and Medical Leave) | 1.2% (up from 1.13%) | Employees 70.7%, employers 29.3%. Employers with fewer than 50 employees owe no employer share | Social Security wage base ($192,300) | $1,727 |
Program Rule Changes for 2027
- Washington: job protection under the state program reaches employers with 15 or more employees in 2027 (25 or more in 2026) and 8 or more from January 1, 2028. Employees qualify after 180 calendar days with the employer.
- Massachusetts: from January 1, 2027, the required employer share moves from the medical leave portion of the contribution to the family leave portion (Chapter 101 of the Acts of 2026). The total rate does not change.
- Rhode Island: the benefit formula rises from 4.62% to 5.38% of an employee's highest-quarter wages on January 1, 2027, and to 5.77% on January 1, 2028.
- District of Columbia: since October 1, 2026, the program offers 10 weeks of medical leave and 6 weeks of family leave (down from 12 each), with parental leave at 12 weeks and prenatal leave at 2 weeks. From January 1, 2027, medical leave payments are treated as third-party sick pay subject to FICA.
- Oregon: proposed rules would separate employer and employee contributions from January 1, 2027, with medical leave paid only from employee contributions. These are proposals until adopted.
- New Jersey: the 2027 wage base and maximum benefit are in a proposed rule; New Jersey usually confirms them in December.
Other Leave Law Changes for 2027
Illinois Paid Jury Duty
Starting January 1, 2027, Illinois employers with more than 25 employees must pay employees their regular rate of pay for time spent serving on jury duty (Public Act 104-0683). Employers with 25 or fewer employees must still give job-protected time off for jury service. Employees must give the employer a copy of the summons within 10 days of its issuance.
Illinois Volunteer Emergency Workers
Also from January 1, 2027, Illinois expands its Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act (Public Act 104-0581). Protection now covers required volunteer training, and employers may not discipline a volunteer firefighter or emergency responder for answering an emergency call or text during work hours, subject to written phone policies or union agreements. Employers may not require employees to use vacation or compensatory time for these absences but may deduct the time from pay.
California Bereavement Leave
California employers with five or more employees must give up to five days of bereavement leave within three months of a family member's death. From January 1, 2027, SB 1149 (Chapter 679, Statutes of 2026) adds a "designated person" chosen by the employee to the relatives covered. Employers may limit employees to one designated person in a 12-month period. The leave stays unpaid, though employees may use accrued vacation, sick or other paid leave.
Notices and Posters
Several of these changes come with new or updated workplace notices. Connecticut's newly covered employers must display the state paid sick leave poster. Massachusetts and Washington have released 2027 paid family and medical leave posters, New York has released its 2027 paid family leave deduction notice, and the District of Columbia has asked employers to repost its updated employee notice. Virginia's posting requirement will be set by regulation.
State programs run alongside the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which still requires covered employers to display the FMLA poster. For federal coverage and posting rules, see our Employer Guide to FMLA Poster Compliance and Posting Requirements.
For each state's 2027 poster releases, see State Labor Law Poster Requirements: 2027 State-by-State Changes (A–Z). For the federal and state posters every employer must display, see our Complete Guide to Federal and State Labor Law Poster Requirements.
What Employers Should Do Now
- Update payroll for the 2027 contribution rates and wage caps in each state where you have employees, and set up Maryland FAMLI withholding before January 1.
- Notify Maryland employees at least one pay period before FAMLI deductions begin.
- Write or update a sick leave policy if you have Connecticut employees and were not covered before, and plan for Virginia's phase-in by size.
- Review job protection for Washington employees if you have 15 to 24 employees.
- Check pending figures for Oregon, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Colorado as each state publishes them.
- Post the new notices as each state releases them.
FAQ
Which states have new paid sick leave laws in 2027?
Connecticut's law reaches all employers with one or more employees on January 1, 2027, and Virginia's new law takes effect July 1, 2027, for employers with 50 or more employees, reaching all employers by January 1, 2029.
When do Maryland employers start paying for FAMLI?
Contributions begin on wages paid from January 1, 2027, at 0.9%, split evenly between employer and employee. The first quarterly payment is due April 30, 2027. Employers with fewer than 15 employees owe only the employee share.
Which states raise their paid family leave contribution rates for 2027?
California (1.4%), New Jersey (worker rates of 0.24% for both TDI and FLI), New York (0.452%) and Washington (1.2%) raise their rates. Colorado lowers its rate to 0.86%. Massachusetts, Minnesota, Maine and Delaware keep the same rates. Oregon, Rhode Island and Connecticut had not announced 2027 rates as of the date at the top of this page.
Does Washington's job protection change in 2027?
Yes. From January 1, 2027, employees of employers with 15 or more employees who have worked there at least 180 calendar days are entitled to job protection while on paid family or medical leave. The threshold drops to 8 employees in 2028.
Do Illinois employers have to pay for jury duty?
From January 1, 2027, employers with more than 25 employees must pay employees their regular rate for time spent on jury duty. Smaller employers must give unpaid, job-protected time off.
Get the Right Posters
National Safety Compliance offers labor law poster sets for every state, each with a state poster and a federal poster, and a labor law poster subscription that sends replacement posters when mandatory changes occur. Our Most Recent Changes page lists the latest updates.
Sources: Connecticut Department of Labor and Office of Legislative Research (Public Act 24-8); Maryland Department of Labor, FAMLI Division; Code of Virginia, Title 40.1, Chapter 3, Article 2.1:1; Illinois General Assembly (Public Acts 104-0683 and 104-0581); California Civil Rights Department and California Legislature (SB 1149, Chapter 679, Statutes of 2026); California EDD; Colorado Department of Labor and Employment; CT Paid Leave Authority; Delaware Department of Labor; DC Department of Employment Services; Maine Department of Labor and 26 M.R.S. §§ 850-C and 850-F; Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave; Minnesota DEED; New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development; New York Department of Financial Services and Workers' Compensation Board; Oregon Employment Department; Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training and R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-41-5; Washington Employment Security Department; Social Security Administration (2027 wage base).