California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act guarantees at least 40 hours or 5 days of paid sick leave per year to most employees in Orange County, with no separate county or city expansion.
Labor Code §245 et seq. requires employers to provide paid sick leave accruing at one hour per 30 hours worked, capped at 40 hours or 5 days annually as of 2024. Employees become eligible after 30 days of employment and may use leave after 90 days. Permitted uses include personal illness, family-member care, and victim-of-violence absences. Orange County and its cities have not enacted supplemental paid-leave ordinances comparable to those in Los Angeles or San Francisco, so the state minimum applies uniformly. Employers must display posters and itemize available leave on pay stubs.
Denying accrual, retaliating against use, or failing to provide notice exposes employers to Labor Commissioner penalties, reinstatement orders, and back-pay liability.
See how other cities in Orange County handle paid leave preemption.
See how Costa Mesa's paid leave preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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