The Pittsburgh Paid Sick Days Act, Ordinance 2015-1518, requires employers to provide accrued paid sick leave. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the ordinance in 2019, making Pittsburgh the first PA city with mandatory paid sick leave.
Enacted as Ordinance 2015-1518 and codified in Pittsburgh Code Title 6, the Paid Sick Days Act requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide one hour of paid sick leave per 35 hours worked, capped at 40 hours annually. Smaller employers must provide unpaid leave the first year, then paid. Workers may use leave for personal illness, family care, domestic violence recovery, or public health closures. Business groups challenged the ordinance as preempted, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in 2019 (Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association v. City of Pittsburgh) that the city's Second Class City status authorized the law. Enforcement runs through the city's Office of Equity.
Retaliation against workers using sick leave or denial of accrual exposes employers to back pay, restoration of leave, civil penalties, and Office of Equity investigations under Title 6.
See how Pittsburgh's paid leave preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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