Tennessee Code 50-2-204 preempts Memphis from requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave, paid family leave, or other paid time off. Federal FMLA unpaid leave applies to large employers; private benefits remain voluntary.
TCA 50-2-204 (enacted 2013) prohibits Tennessee cities from mandating paid leave benefits for private-sector employees. Memphis cannot enact paid sick days, paid family leave, or pregnancy-leave laws applicable to private employers. Federal Family and Medical Leave Act provides 12 weeks unpaid job-protected leave at employers with 50+ workers. Tennessee Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (TCA 50-10-101) requires reasonable accommodations but no paid time off. City employees and many large hotel employers offer voluntary paid leave through collective bargaining or HR policy.
No local enforcement exists because the law is preempted; federal FMLA violations result in DOL investigations, reinstatement orders, and back pay.
See how Memphis's paid leave preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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