Paid Sick Leave Policy
(with Acknowledgment) (DC)

Summary

This template is a paid sick leave policy (with acknowledgment) for DC employers that governs employees' entitlement to sick leave. Employers may include this policy in an employee handbook or distribute it as a standalone policy. This template includes practical guidance, drafting notes, and alternate and optional clauses. This template's language has been customized to comply with DC and federal law. As a result, it differs from the non-jurisdictional Paid Sick Leave Policy (with Acknowledgment). It is intended for private employers. For information on state laws concerning sick leave, see the "Family, Medical, Sick, Pregnancy, and Military Leave" column of Attendance, Leaves, and Disabilities State Practice Notes Chart. For information on drafting paid sick leave policies, see Sick Leave Policies: Key Drafting Tips, Paid Sick Leave Policies Checklist (Best Drafting Practices for Employers), Paid Time Off (PTO) Policies: Key Drafting Tips, and Attendance, Time-Off, and Leave of Absence Policies: Best Drafting and Administration Practices. For another model sick leave policy, see Sick Leave Policy. For a paid leave policy that is not limited to sick days, see Paid Time Off (PTO) and Sick Days Policy. Additionally, in the wake of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, employers are facing unique challenges in drafting and administering PTO and sick days policies. For employer guidance on responding to the novel coronavirus crisis, including as pertains to sick leave policies, see Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Kit. In addition to providing for family, medical, and parental leave, the District of Columbia also requires employers to provide paid sick and safe leave under the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008 (ASSLA). In 2014, the District of Columbia passed and enacted the Earned Sick and Safe Leave Amendment Act of 2013, which significantly altered requirements under the ASSLA. The ASSLA requires employers to provide leave to employees for the care of their own health or the health needs of a family member, or to obtain services related to domestic violence, stalking, or sexual abuse. D.C. Code § 32–531 (2021).