How much paid sick leave do Colorado employees get in 2026?

Up to 48 hours a year under the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, earned at 1 hour per 30 hours worked, with no waiting period: a new hire can use leave as soon as it is earned. The law applies to employers of every size.

What can Colorado sick leave be used for?

Beyond the employee's own or a family member's illness and preventive care, and safe time, Colorado added several uses in 2023: bereavement, caring for a family member whose school or place of care has closed because of weather or a loss of power, heat, or water, and evacuating the employee's own home for the same kinds of reasons.

What is Colorado's 80-hour public health emergency leave?

During a declared public health emergency, an employer must ensure the employee can access a total of up to 80 hours of paid leave for emergency-related uses. The employer may count unused accrued sick leave toward that total, so it is a guaranteed 80 hours, not 80 stacked on top of the regular 48. It activates whenever a federal, state, or local public health emergency is declared.

Do any Colorado cities have their own sick leave ordinances?

No. Unlike California, Illinois, New York, and Washington, no Colorado city has adopted a local sick-leave ordinance, so the state HFWA is the single standard statewide.

← All states

Colorado Paid Sick Leave (2026)

Verified as of August 18, 2026

State paid-sick requirement: Yes, statewide, for employers of every size
The law: Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (C.R.S. 8-13.3-401 and following)
Annual amount (state floor): Up to 48 hours a year. Unused time carries over, though an employer is not required to let a worker bank or use more than 48 hours in a year.
How leave is earned: 1 hour per 30 hours worked.
Depends on employer size?: No. The HFWA applies to employers of every size.
What it can be used for: The broadest list of the states we track: the employee's own or a family member's illness and preventive care; safe time for domestic violence, sexual assault, and harassment; and, added in 2023, bereavement, caring for a family member whose school or place of care has closed because of weather or a loss of power, heat, or water, and evacuating the employee's own home for the same kinds of reasons.
Wait before first use: None. A new hire can use leave as soon as it is earned.

City and county ordinances

No Colorado city has layered its own sick-leave ordinance on top of the state law. That is not because the state blocks them (Texas is the state where courts struck local ordinances down); Colorado's cities simply have not legislated here, so the HFWA is the single standard statewide.

Worth knowing

During a declared public health emergency, an employer must ensure the employee can access a total of up to 80 hours of paid leave for emergency-related uses. The employer supplements the employee's existing bank as needed to reach that number and may count unused accrued sick leave toward it, so it is a guaranteed total of 80 hours rather than 80 stacked on top of the 48.
The 80-hour entitlement is dormant when no emergency is declared and activates whenever a federal, state, or local public health emergency is declared.

Frequently asked questions

How much paid sick leave do Colorado employees get in 2026?: Up to 48 hours a year under the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, earned at 1 hour per 30 hours worked, with no waiting period: a new hire can use leave as soon as it is earned. The law applies to employers of every size.
What can Colorado sick leave be used for?: Beyond the employee's own or a family member's illness and preventive care, and safe time, Colorado added several uses in 2023: bereavement, caring for a family member whose school or place of care has closed because of weather or a loss of power, heat, or water, and evacuating the employee's own home for the same kinds of reasons.
What is Colorado's 80-hour public health emergency leave?: During a declared public health emergency, an employer must ensure the employee can access a total of up to 80 hours of paid leave for emergency-related uses. The employer may count unused accrued sick leave toward that total, so it is a guaranteed 80 hours, not 80 stacked on top of the regular 48. It activates whenever a federal, state, or local public health emergency is declared.
Do any Colorado cities have their own sick leave ordinances?: No. Unlike California, Illinois, New York, and Washington, no Colorado city has adopted a local sick-leave ordinance, so the state HFWA is the single standard statewide.

Primary sources, verified as of August 18, 2026: CDLE: Healthy Families and Workplaces Act overview

The statute itself, C.R.S. 8-13.3-401 through 405, is published by the Colorado General Assembly as a PDF of the official Title 8 statutes; these figures were verified against that document and the CDLE guidance page above on August 18, 2026.

Get notified when Colorado changes its rules

State Law Briefing publishes legal information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm and reading this content does not create an attorney-client relationship. Consult a licensed employment attorney for guidance specific to your organization.