Are You Entitled To Paid Sick-Leave Under The D.C. Sick And Safe Leave Act?

 Posted on June 15, 2020 in Employment Law

If you miss work because you or a family member is ill, injured, needs medical treatment orpsychological counseling or therapy, your employer may be required to provide you with paidsick leave for missed work days.

Am I Covered by the D.C. Sick and Safe Leave Act?

This law applies to you if you regularly spend all or just over half your working time in theDistrict of Columbia (even if your employer’s offices are located out-of-state) or if you spend atleast one quarter of your working time in the District of Columbia and your employer has officesthere.

If I Qualify, How Much Paid Sick Leave Do I Get?

Depending on the size of your employer, you are entitled to receive anywhere from 3 to 7 daysof paid sick leave per year, which continues to accumulate from year to year, as long as youremain employed with the same employer. You begin accumulating sick leave each week afterbeing employed for 90 days. You are not entitled to more paid-sick leave than you have earned.

How Do I Request Paid Sick-Leave?

If you wish to take paid-sick leave, you must provide advanced written notice to your employerof the number of days you plan to use and the reasons.

What Happens If My Employer Refuses to Give Me Paid Sick-Leave?

If you actually take sick leave for your own illness or for that of an immediate family memberand your employer does not provide the paid-sick leave required, you can bring a law suit againstyour employer and recover up to four times the amount of the paid sick-leave to which you wereentitled.

Do you have questions?

If you have questions about this law, contact a lawyer who has experience in this area of the law.This information is not intended to be legal advice. Consult a lawyer for individual adviceregarding your situation.