Paid Leave by Country and US State (2026)

Paid leave rules differ widely across the six countries where Aristo Search places senior staff. A salary number only tells part of the story; statutory leave changes what a hire costs and expects.

Paid leave at a glance

The table below compares statutory leave and pay rules in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It covers annual leave, sick leave and parental leave where a national or provincial rule applies.

Country Annual leave (minimum) Paid sick leave Paid parental leave
United States None by law In 20 states and DC State programs in 12 states and DC; FMLA is unpaid
Canada 2 weeks (3 in Saskatchewan), rising with service 10 days federally; 5 in BC; unpaid in Ontario Employment Insurance, up to 15 + 35 weeks
United Kingdom 5.6 weeks, can include bank holidays SSP £123.25 a week from day one 39 weeks of statutory maternity pay
Ireland 4 weeks plus 10 public holidays 5 days at 70%, capped at €110 a day 26 weeks of Maternity Benefit at €299 a week
Australia 4 weeks 10 days personal and carer's leave 26 weeks of government pay
New Zealand 4 weeks after 12 months 10 days after 6 months 26 weeks, up to NZ$811.05 a week

Last checked 5 November 2026. This is general information for employers, not legal advice. Check with employment counsel in each country before you rely on it.

United States: paid sick leave by state

In the US, no federal law requires paid vacation, paid sick leave or paid holidays. For a salaried hire, paid time off is a company policy matter, and senior hires usually negotiate vacation in the offer. The main federal rule is the FMLA, which gives 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave a year to employees with 12 months' service and 1,250 hours worked at employers with 50 or more staff within 75 miles. Twenty states and DC require paid sick leave for private employers, including Illinois, Maine and Nevada where it can be used for any reason. Missouri repealed its paid sick leave law from 28 August 2025. Some states pay family and medical leave benefits through payroll-funded insurance.

State Accrual and annual cap Who is covered
Alaska 1 hour per 30 worked; 40 or 56 hours a year depending on employer size All employers, since 1 July 2025
Arizona 1 hour per 30 worked; 24 hours (under 15 staff) or 40 hours All employers
California 1 hour per 30 worked; at least 40 hours or 5 days a year All employers
Colorado 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 48 hours a year All employers
Connecticut 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 40 hours a year 11 or more staff in 2026; all employers from 1 January 2027
Washington DC Up to 3, 5 or 7 days a year depending on employer size All employers
Illinois 1 hour per 40 worked; up to 40 hours a year, usable for any reason All employers, since 1 January 2024
Maine 1 hour per 40 worked; up to 40 hours a year, usable for any reason 10 or more staff
Maryland 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 40 hours a year Paid at 15 or more staff, unpaid below
Massachusetts 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 40 hours a year Paid at 11 or more staff, unpaid below
Michigan 1 hour per 30 worked; 72 hours a year (40 at 10 or fewer staff) All employers, since 21 February 2025
Minnesota 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 48 hours a year All employers
Nebraska 1 hour per 30 worked; 40 or 56 hours a year depending on employer size 11 or more staff, since 1 October 2025
Nevada About 40 hours a year, usable for any reason 50 or more staff
New Jersey 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 40 hours a year All employers
New Mexico 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 64 hours a year All employers
New York 1 hour per 30 worked; 40 hours a year (56 at 100 or more staff), plus 20 hours paid prenatal leave Paid at 5 or more staff
Oregon 1 hour per 30 worked; up to 40 hours a year Paid at 10 or more staff (6 in Portland)
Rhode Island 1 hour per 35 worked; up to 40 hours a year Paid at 18 or more staff
Vermont 1 hour per 52 worked; up to 40 hours a year Most employers
Washington 1 hour per 40 worked; no annual cap All employers

Missouri repealed its paid sick leave law from 28 August 2025. Virginia's new law starts with employers of 50 or more staff on 1 July 2027. Many cities, including New York City, Chicago and Seattle, have their own rules.

United States: paid family and medical leave programs

These state insurance programs pay employees during family or medical leave, funded by payroll contributions from employees, employers or both.

State Benefits since Notes
California 2004 Paid family leave through State Disability Insurance
New Jersey 2009 Family leave insurance
Rhode Island 2014 Temporary caregiver insurance
New York 2018 Paid family leave
Washington 2020 Contribution 1.13% of wages in 2026
Washington DC 2020 From 1 October 2026 family leave is cut to 6 weeks and medical leave to 10
Massachusetts 2021 Paid family and medical leave
Connecticut 2022 Paid leave program
Oregon September 2023 Paid Leave Oregon
Colorado 2024 FAMLI, with extra weeks for parents of babies in neonatal intensive care from 2026
Delaware 1 January 2026 80% of wages, capped at $900 a week
Minnesota 1 January 2026 Up to 20 weeks of family and medical leave combined
Maine 1 May 2026 Up to 12 weeks; employers with 15 or more staff pay up to half the 1% contribution
Maryland 2028 (delayed) Contributions start 1 January 2027
Virginia 2028 (planned) New law passed in 2026

Canada

In Canada, statutory vacation is two weeks in most provinces, rising to three weeks after five years in Ontario, BC, Alberta, Manitoba and federally. Saskatchewan gives three weeks from the start and Quebec gives three weeks after three years. Paid sick leave varies by province and sector; federally regulated employers give ten paid medical days a year. Employment Insurance pays maternity benefits for 15 weeks and parental benefits for up to 35 weeks at 55 percent. Quebec runs its own parental plan.

Jurisdiction Vacation Paid sick days
Federal 2 weeks; 3 after 5 years; 4 after 10 10 days medical leave
Ontario 2 weeks; 3 after 5 years None (3 unpaid days)
British Columbia 2 weeks; 3 after 5 years 5 days
Alberta 2 weeks; 3 after 5 years None
Quebec 2 weeks; 3 after 3 years 2 days
Saskatchewan 3 weeks; 4 after 10 years None
Manitoba 2 weeks; 3 after 5 years None

United Kingdom

In the UK, every worker is entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, which for a five-day week is 28 days and can include bank holidays. Statutory Sick Pay is £123.25 a week from 6 April 2026, payable from the first day of sickness for up to 28 weeks. Statutory maternity pay lasts 39 weeks, with six weeks at 90 percent of earnings then the lower of £194.32 or 90 percent. Paternity leave has been a day-one right since 6 April 2026, and a new right to bereavement leave is expected from April 2027.

Ireland

In Ireland, employees get four working weeks of annual leave plus ten public holidays. Statutory sick leave is five days a year at 70 percent of pay, capped at €110 a day, after 13 weeks' service; the planned increase to seven and ten days was paused in 2025. Maternity leave is 26 weeks with Maternity Benefit of €299 a week from January 2026. Paternity leave is two weeks and parent's leave is nine weeks per parent.

Australia

In Australia, full-time and part-time employees accrue four weeks of annual leave a year. They get ten days of paid personal and carer's leave and ten days of paid family and domestic violence leave. Long service leave is set by state law and usually applies after seven to ten years. Government Paid Parental Leave is 26 weeks for births from 1 July 2026, paid at the national minimum wage, and superannuation is paid on it. Employees can take 12 months of unpaid parental leave.

New Zealand

In New Zealand, employees get four weeks of annual leave after 12 months of service, plus 12 public holidays. They also get ten days of sick leave a year after six months, ten days of family violence leave, and three days of bereavement leave for a close relative. Paid parental leave is 26 weeks, up to NZ$811.05 a week gross from 1 July 2026. The Employment Leave Act 2026 replaces the Holidays Act from 6 August 2028 and moves leave to an hours-based system.

Leave and the job offer

Statutory leave changes how a senior candidate reads an offer. A UK candidate used to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday may see a US offer with no federal paid vacation as a cut in total time off, even when the salary is higher. An Australian candidate used to four weeks plus ten personal days may ask a Canadian employer to match that in the offer letter. When you recruit across these countries, state leave as weeks and paid days alongside salary. Benchmark the target country's statutory rules before you send terms.

For public holiday dates, see our public holidays 2027 guide.

Setting leave policies across borders

1. Check the statutory floor before you write the offer

Start with the target country's minimum annual leave, sick leave and parental leave. In the US there is no federal paid vacation, while in the UK it is 5.6 weeks. For Canada, check the province because Saskatchewan and Quebec differ from the two-week baseline.

2. Treat vacation as a negotiable term for senior hires

In the US, paid vacation is a company policy. Senior hires usually negotiate it, so set a range rather than a fixed number. A candidate moving from a country with four weeks may expect matching leave, and a written policy is easier to defend than an ad hoc promise.

3. Watch state and provincial paid sick leave changes

Paid sick leave rules differ. In the US, twenty states and DC require it, and some laws are changing; Missouri repealed its law on 28 August 2025, while Connecticut extends its law from 1 January 2027. In Canada, check the province because BC, Quebec and Ontario differ.

4. Benchmark parental leave expectations

Parental leave differs widely. A UK employee expects 39 weeks of statutory maternity pay, while in Australia government paid parental leave is 26 weeks for births from 1 July 2026. In the US, there is no federal paid parental leave, though twelve states and DC pay family and medical leave benefits through payroll-funded insurance.

5. Plan for future leave law changes

Leave rules are moving. New Zealand's Employment Leave Act 2026 replaces the Holidays Act from 6 August 2028 and moves leave to an hours-based system. Maryland's paid family benefits are delayed to 2028, and Virginia passed a program due to start paying in 2028. Build in a review date.

How Aristo Search helps with offers

Aristo Search benchmarks leave alongside salary when we help clients shape an offer. We compare what a candidate has today with the statutory floor and market norms where the role sits, and help you set out leave in clear weeks and paid days so the offer is easy to compare. For candidates moving from the UK, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand to a US role, we flag early that paid vacation will need to be agreed in the offer.

More hiring guides and tools

Sources

Questions employers ask

Do we have to give paid vacation in the US?

No federal law requires paid vacation in the US. It is a matter of company policy, and senior hires usually negotiate it. Some states require paid sick leave, but paid vacation and paid holidays have no federal minimum.

What is the FMLA and when does it apply?

The FMLA gives 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave a year. It applies to employers with 50 or more staff within 75 miles, and to employees with 12 months' service and 1,250 hours worked. It does not require pay.

How does UK holiday compare with Australia?

UK workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, but bank holidays can count towards it. Australian employees get 4 weeks of annual leave, with public holidays paid on top, and some shift workers get 5 weeks. For a standard five-day week the total paid time off ends up similar.

Do Canadian provinces differ on vacation?

Yes. Most provinces give two weeks, rising to three weeks after five years in Ontario, BC, Alberta, Manitoba and federally. Saskatchewan gives three weeks from the start and Quebec gives three weeks after three years. Federally it becomes four weeks after ten years.

What paid sick leave must we provide in Ireland and New Zealand?

In Ireland, statutory sick leave is five days a year at 70 percent of pay, capped at €110 a day, after 13 weeks' service. In New Zealand, employees get ten days of sick leave a year after six months. The two countries have different service thresholds.

Is there paid parental leave in the US?

There is no federal paid parental leave. The FMLA gives 12 weeks of unpaid leave to eligible employees. Twelve states and DC pay family and medical leave benefits through insurance funded by payroll contributions. Some of these state programs started paying benefits in 2026.

What changes are coming to leave laws?

Connecticut extends its paid sick leave law to all employers from 1 January 2027, and Virginia phases in paid sick leave from 1 July 2027. Maryland's paid family benefits are delayed to 2028. New Zealand moves to an hours-based leave system from 6 August 2028.

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