Michigan Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA)
✓ Verified against official sources · September 1, 2026 MCL §§ 408.961–408.974 (Earned Sick Time Act, as amended 2025)
The short answer: Michigan's revived Earned Sick Time Act requires one hour of paid sick time per 30 hours worked — usable up to 72 hours a year at most employers, 40 hours at small businesses with 10 or fewer workers.
Accrual rate
1 hour per 30 hours worked (frontloading allowed)
Annual amount
Use up to 72 hrs/yr — 40 hrs at small businesses (≤10 workers)
Employers covered
All employers with one or more employees
Penalty for non-compliance: Enforced by Michigan LEO; violations can bring payment of withheld time, damages, and civil fines under the Act.
Michigan's Earned Sick Time Act — restored by the courts and then amended in February 2025 — requires every employer to provide earned sick time at one hour per 30 hours worked. Employees of a small business (an employer with 10 or fewer individuals working for compensation in a week) may use up to 40 hours of paid sick time a year; employees of larger employers may use up to 72 hours. In either case, the employer may frontload the full annual amount for immediate use instead of tracking accrual.
Small businesses had a grace period to October 1, 2025 for the new requirements. Uses cover the employee's or a family member's physical or mental illness and care, preventive care, and needs arising from domestic violence or sexual assault; Michigan's Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity enforces the Act.
For employersThe 2025 amendments settled the chaos: 72 usable hours at 11+ workers, 40 at 10 or fewer, frontloading in lieu of accrual/carryover — and small businesses had until October 1, 2025 to comply.
For employeesYou earn one hour of paid sick time per 30 worked — usable up to 72 hours a year at most employers — for your own or a family member's health, and for domestic-violence-related needs.
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Michigan FAQ
How much sick time can a Michigan employee use per year?
Up to 72 hours of paid sick time at most employers — or up to 40 hours at a small business with 10 or fewer workers — unless the employer selects a higher limit (MCL 408.963).
Can Michigan employers front-load sick time?
Yes — providing the full annual amount (72 or 40 hours) at the start of the year for immediate use is an express alternative to accrual tracking.
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Official sources
Educational content, not legal advice. Rules change — every fact above was checked against the linked official sources on the date shown.
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How other states compare
| State | Accrual rate | Annual amount | Employers covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hrs (under 15 employees) / 56 hrs (15+) | All employers — the cap varies at the 15-employee line |
| Arizona | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours (15+ employees) / 24 hours (under 15) | All employers — the cap varies by size |
| California | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (alternative schedules allowed) | Use at least 40 hours / 5 days; accrual cap 80 hours / 10 days | Nearly all employers, regardless of size |
| Colorado | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Up to 48 hours per year (+80-hour PHE supplement when declared) | All employers — full-time, part-time and temporary employees |
| Connecticut | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per year; 40 hours carryover | 11+ employees now; every employer from Jan 1, 2027 |
| District of Columbia | 1 hour per 37 / 43 / 87 hours worked, by employer size | 7 days (100+) / 5 days (25–99) / 3 days (≤24) | All D.C. employers — tiered by headcount |
| Illinois | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per 12-month period — usable for any purpose | Nearly all employers (school and park districts excluded) |
| Maine | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per year — usable for any reason | More than 10 employees in Maine for 120+ days a year (non-seasonal) |
| Maryland | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Earn up to 40 hrs/yr; use and bank up to 64 hrs | All — paid at 15+ employees, unpaid at 14 or fewer |
| Massachusetts | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per calendar year | All — paid at 11+ employees, unpaid below |
| Michigan | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (frontloading allowed) | Use up to 72 hrs/yr — 40 hrs at small businesses (≤10 workers) | All employers with one or more employees |
| Minnesota | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Up to 48 hours per year; bank up to 80 hours with carryover | All employers with one or more employees |
| Missouri | None — the mandate was repealed effective Aug 28, 2025 | No state requirement — employer policy controls | No Missouri employer is required to provide sick leave |
| Nebraska | 1 hour per 30 hours worked, after 80 hours of employment | 40 hrs (11–19 employees) / 56 hrs (20+) | 11+ employees — employers with 10 or fewer are exempt |
| Nevada | 0.01923 hours per hour worked (≈1 per 52; frontloading allowed) | ≈40 hours per benefit year for full-time work — any purpose | Private employers — under-50-employee hardship and other carve-outs |
| New Jersey | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (or 40 hours advanced up front) | Up to 40 hours per benefit year; 40 hours carryover | All New Jersey employers, regardless of size |
| New Mexico | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (or 64 hours frontloaded Jan 1) | Use up to 64 hours per year; 64-hour carryover | All private employers, regardless of size |
| New York | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 56 hrs paid (100+) / 40 paid (5–99) / 40 unpaid (0–4, ≤$1M income) | Every NY employer — the tier sets paid vs. unpaid and the cap |
| Oregon | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (or 1-1/3 per 40) | Up to 40 hours per year | All — paid at 10+ employees, unpaid under 10 |
| Rhode Island | 1 hour per 35 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per year | Paid at 18+ employees; smaller employers provide unpaid leave |
| Vermont | 1 hour per 52 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per 12-month period | All Vermont employers |
| Washington | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | No annual cap — leave is usable as accrued; 40-hour carryover | All employers covered by the Minimum Wage Act |
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