Utah Code 34-49 expressly preempts any city or county from requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave, vacation, or family leave, blocking Salt Lake City from following Denver or Seattle models.
Utah's Employment Selection Procedures Act preemption (UT 34-49) prohibits any local government from mandating paid sick leave, vacation, or family medical leave for private employers. Enacted 2016 in direct response to local interest in following Denver's 2020 paid sick leave law. Salt Lake City cannot require employers to provide any paid time off benefits. Federal Family Medical Leave Act provides unpaid 12-week leave for employers with 50-plus workers. Many Salt Lake employers voluntarily offer paid leave to compete, particularly in tech and healthcare. Utah state employees receive paid leave through state HR policy, but private workers depend on employer choice.
No state or local enforcement exists for mandatory paid leave because none is required; federal FMLA violations are enforced by US Department of Labor for covered employers.
See how Salt Lake City's paid leave preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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