No state family and medical leave law
Pennsylvania does not have a state family and medical leave statute. No Pennsylvania labor law requires an employer to provide paid or unpaid leave for family or medical reasons. Private-sector employees rely on the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for job-protected leave entitlements.
Jury duty leave — retaliation prohibition and small-employer exception
Pennsylvania prohibits employers from depriving an employee of employment, seniority, or benefits because the employee receives a jury summons, responds to it, serves as a juror, or attends court for prospective jury service. Employers also may not threaten or coerce employees regarding jury service. Employers are not required to pay employees for time spent on jury duty. This protection does not apply to retail or service employers with fewer than 15 employees or manufacturing employers with fewer than 40 employees. An employee penalized in violation of the statute may bring a civil action to recover lost wages and benefits and obtain reinstatement.
Source: 42 Pa. C.S. § 4563
No state sick leave requirement — local ordinances in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia
Pennsylvania does not require private-sector employers to provide paid or unpaid sick leave. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry states plainly that "there is no Pennsylvania labor law which requires an employer to pay an employee not to work," and specifically identifies sick leave, vacation pay, and severance pay as examples of benefits that fall outside state-law mandates. Employers may choose to offer sick leave voluntarily, but the Commonwealth imposes no floor.
Local ordinances create employer obligations in two jurisdictions:
Philadelphia — The Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (Philadelphia Code Chapter 9-4100) requires employers to provide sick leave to employees who work at least 40 hours per year within city limits. The ordinance took effect in 2015. Employees accrue one hour of sick leave for every 40 hours worked in Philadelphia, up to a 40-hour annual cap. Employers with 10 or more employees must provide paid sick leave; employers with fewer than 10 employees must provide the same accrual on an unpaid basis. Covered uses include the employee's own illness, injury, or preventive care; care for a family member with a health condition; and needs arising from domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking (including medical attention, victim services, counseling, relocation, or legal proceedings).
Pittsburgh — The Paid Sick Days Act (Pittsburgh City Code Chapter 626) applies to employees who work at least 35 hours per year within city boundaries. The ordinance took effect March 15, 2020; amendments effective January 1, 2026, increased the accrual rate and caps. Employees accrue one hour of sick leave for every 35 hours worked. Employers with 15 or more employees must provide paid sick leave, up to a 40-hour annual cap; employers with fewer than 15 employees must provide unpaid sick leave, up to a 24-hour annual cap. Covered uses mirror Philadelphia's categories: employee or family-member illness, injury, preventive care, and domestic-violence-related needs. The City's Office of Equal Protection administers and enforces the ordinance.
Employers operating in multiple Pennsylvania locations must track hours worked within each jurisdiction and apply the corresponding ordinance. An employee who works partly in Philadelphia and partly in Pittsburgh may accrue sick leave under both ordinances simultaneously, based on hours worked in each city. Employers with existing paid-time-off (PTO) policies may satisfy the local ordinances if the PTO meets or exceeds the accrual requirements, permits use for all qualifying reasons, and does not impose conditions — such as advance notice, employer approval, or find-your-own-replacement requirements — that the ordinances prohibit.
Allegheny County also enacted a sick leave ordinance covering employees working in unincorporated areas and municipalities that have not enacted their own ordinances. Unable to confirm as of 2026-05-29.
Outside these jurisdictions, Pennsylvania employers have no state or local sick leave obligation. Employees rely on employer policy, collective bargaining agreements, or — for qualifying employers and medical conditions — unpaid leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.
Source: PA Dept. of Labor & Industry, Wage FAQs Source: Philadelphia Code Chapter 9-4100, Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Source: Pittsburgh Paid Sick Days Act