School & Child Care Related Activities Leave Policies While there is no federal law that requires employers to provide time off for school and child care related activities, several states require employers to allow for this kind of time during working hours. This includes but not limited to school conferences, school activities, volunteering, finding, enrolling, or reenrolling their child in a school or with a child care provider, participating in activities of the school or child care provider and addressing a child care provider or school emergency The employee must provide the employer with reasonable notice of the planned absence, or upon emergency, as much as is practical. Many of these laws cover not only biological parents, but also guardians and those who have legal custody or who are acting as a parent to a child, stepchild, foster child, or ward. The laws generally protect employees from any kind of discrimination or retaliation for taking leave. • California (25 or more employees at the same location) - Up to 40 hours of time off each year. Absent an emergency, no more than 8 hours in a month. • Washington, D.C. (All employers) - Up to 24 hours of leave during any 12-month period. Leave may be unpaid unless the employee elects to use paid time off. • Illinois (50 or more employees in Illinois) - Up to eight hours of leave per school year but no more than four hours in a single day. • Louisiana (All Employers) - Permits employers to grant employees up to 16 hours during any 12-month period. Employer is not required to pay an employee for taking this leave. • Massachusetts (50 or more employees) - Up to 24 hours of leave during a 12-month period. Employer may require the employee to use accrued paid time off. • Minnesota (All employers) Up to 16 hours during any 12-month period. Employer is not required to pay an employee for this leave. Employee may substitute any accrued paid vacation leave. • Nevada (50 or more employees) – Up to four hours per school year to. Employer is not required to pay an employee for leave. • New Jersey (All employers) - New Jersey’s Earned Sick Leave requires all employers to provide up to 40 hours of earned sick leave per year. Eligible employees may use sick leave to attend a child’s school-related conference, meeting, function or other event. • New Mexico (All employers) - Under New Mexico’s Healthy Workplaces Act of 2021, all employers are required to provide eligible employees with sick leave per benefit year. Eligible employees may use earned sick leave for meetings at the employee’s child’s school or place of care related to the child’s health or disability. • North Carolina (All employers) - Up to four hours of leave per year. Employers are not required to pay employees for taking leave • Rhode Island (All employers) - Up to 10 hours of unpaid leave during any 12-month period. Employers are not required to pay employees. Employee may substitute any accrued paid vacation leave or other appropriate paid leave. • Vermont (15 or more employees) - Under Vermont’s Short-Term Family Leave law up to 4 hours of unpaid leave in any 30-day period, but no more than 24 hours in any 12-month period. Employee may use accrued paid leave
  • Post date 09/12/2023

School & Child Care Related Activities Leave Policies

While there is no federal law that requires employers to provide time off for school and child care related activities, several states require employers to allow for this kind of time during working hours.   This includes but not limited to school conferences, school activities, volunteering, finding, enrolling, or reenrolling their child in a school or with a child care provider, participating in activities of the school or child care provider and addressing a child care provider or school emergency

The employee must provide the employer with reasonable notice of the planned absence, or upon emergency, as much as is practical.   Many of these laws cover not only biological parents, but also guardians and those who have legal custody or who are acting as a parent to a child, stepchild, foster child, or ward.  The laws generally protect employees from any kind of discrimination or retaliation for taking leave.

  • California (25 or more employees at the same location) – Up to 40 hours of time off each year.  Absent an emergency, no more than 8 hours in a month.
  • Washington, D.C. (All employers) –  Up to 24 hours of leave during any 12-month period.  Leave may be unpaid unless the employee elects to use paid time off.
  • Illinois (50 or more employees in Illinois) – Up to eight hours of leave per school year but no more than four hours in a single day.
  • Louisiana (All Employers) – Permits employers to grant employees up to 16 hours during any 12-month period.  Employer is not required to pay an employee for taking this leave.
  • Massachusetts (50 or more employees) – Up to 24 hours of leave during a 12-month period.  Employer may require the employee to use accrued paid time off.
  • Minnesota (All employers)  Up to 16 hours during any 12-month period.  Employer is not required to pay an employee for this leave.  Employee may substitute any accrued paid vacation leave.
  • Nevada (50 or more employees) – Up to four hours per school year to. Employer is not required to pay an employee for leave.
  • New Jersey (All employers) – New Jersey’s Earned Sick Leave requires all employers to provide up to 40 hours of earned sick leave per year. Eligible employees may use sick leave to attend a child’s school-related conference, meeting, function or other event.
  • New Mexico (All employers) – Under New Mexico’s Healthy Workplaces Act of 2021, all employers are required to provide eligible employees with sick leave per benefit year. Eligible employees may use earned sick leave for meetings at the employee’s child’s school or place of care related to the child’s health or disability.
  • North Carolina (All employers) – Up to four hours of leave per year.  Employers are not required to pay employees for taking leave
  • Rhode Island (All employers) – Up to 10 hours of unpaid leave during any 12-month period. Employers are not required to pay employees.  Employee may substitute any accrued paid vacation leave or other appropriate paid leave.
  • Vermont (15 or more employees) – Under Vermont’s Short-Term Family Leave law up to 4 hours of unpaid leave in any 30-day period, but no more than 24 hours in any 12-month period.  Employee may use accrued paid leave