Employees earn a minimum of one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 worked within the City of Tacoma, with no limit on accrual. 

You may use your paid sick leave time for any of the following reasons:

• Illness or injury (either yours or a family member’s)
• When your place of employment has been closed by order of a public official or to care for a child whose schools has been closed by order of a public official
• To seek law enforcement or legal help for domestic violence or sexual assault (either for yourself or a family member)
• To seek safety from domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking
• For bereavement of a close family member

Yes, the law allows you to carry over up to 40 hours of unused time to the following calendar year.

No, but employers are allowed to cash out paid sick leave at separation. 

Yes, the law applies to workers in collective bargaining units.

Yes, staffing agencies are required to comply with the paid sick leave law.

Yes, the law requires that employees be able to use their leave “to be able to care for a child whose school or place of care has been closed by order of a public official.” Because the decision to close schools for weather is made by the superintendent, this a qualified reason to use paid sick leave. Regularly scheduled closures, such as school breaks or holidays, are not covered by the Paid Sick Leave law.

There is information about the paid sick leave requirements online that you can share with your employer if you feel comfortable talking with them. You can also report a violation to be investigated.  You can also email us or call our office (253) 591-5306.

State Law allows some exemptions to public records requests, including the following which may apply to you: “information revealing the identity of persons who are witnesses to or victims of a crime… if disclosure would endanger any person’s life, physical safety, or property. If at the time a complaint is filed the complainant, victim, or witness indicates a desire for disclosure or non-disclosure, such desire shall govern (RCW 42.56.240).” Be sure to inform us when you make your complaint if you think this exception might apply. Your complaint may not be completely confidential, as we may need to tell your employer who filed the charge in order to properly investigate and names must be released in order for employees to receive owed hours or wages.

No, paid sick leave can only be used for scheduled shifts unless your employer has a more generous policy.

An employer may require a doctor’s note for Paid Sick Leave for absences exceeding three days as long as a written policy is provided showing the requirements. An employee should notify their employer if they feel the requirement causes an unreasonable burden or expense. The employer must make a reasonable effort to provide alternative documentation requirements which do not create an unreasonable burden (Rule 2.0). Please contact the Employment Standards Office for more information or to file a complaint.

Yes, if you and your employer both agree to it. The law allows employers to offer policies offering employees substitute shifts so they don’t have to miss out on compensation received from tips. 

Yes, if both you and your employer agree to it. The law allows employers to establish policies offering employees the option of voluntarily trading shifts so they don’t have to use their paid sick leave time.

If you are an employee who qualifies for overtime pay, then all of your hours count toward accruing paid sick leave. Salaried employees (employees who are exempt from overtime pay under FLSA) who work full-time accrue leave based on a 40-hour work week. If you are an FLSA exempt employee who works less than 40 hours per week, then you accrue leave based on the average number of hours that you typically work. For example, a part-time exempt employee who works roughly twenty hours per week would earn one hour of paid sick leave during a two-week pay period.

The Paid Sick Leave law provides you with a right to paid time off for health and safety needs; it does not require your employer to provide unpaid time off for illness. You can ask your employer what their policy is on unpaid time off.

While employees begin to accrue paid sick leave immediately, you are eligible to use your accrued hours 90 days after your start date.