District of Columbia program
Paid days you have already earned
Paid sick days earned through work in DC can be used to care for an ill child.
What it is
Paid sick days earned through work in DC can be used to care for an ill child.
Earned sick leave can cover some treatment visits without losing pay. Your available balance depends on what you have earned and used. Employer size sets the annual cap.
Eligibility rules
- Work in the District; use begins after 90 days of service. Size is the prior year's average full-time-equivalent staff.
- Work in the District.
What you get
- Paid time for caring for an ill child, using your accrued balance.
Employer-size bands
- You earn paid sick days as you work: up to 3 days a year at an employer with 24 or fewer staff, 5 days at 25 to 99, and 7 days at 100 or more. You can use them after 90 days in the job.
- Employer size uses the prior year’s average full-time-equivalent workforce. District government employment is included under the law.
If you decide to apply
- Ask human resources for your earned sick-leave balance and the request process.
- Have the dates you need and your start date ready.
Your employer · Official page ↗
Good to know
The days build up as you work, so a new job starts with a small balance. Ask HR for the current figure in writing.
Official sources
- D.C. Code § 32-531.02 — Provision of paid leave
- D.C. Code § 32-531.01 — Definitions
- Official source reviewed September 17, 2026 (B Q1)
- Official source reviewed September 17, 2026 (B Q1)
- Official source reviewed September 17, 2026 (B Q1)
- Official source reviewed September 17, 2026 (B Q1)
- Official source reviewed September 17, 2026 (B Q1)
- Official source reviewed September 17, 2026 (B Q1)
- Official source reviewed September 17, 2026 (B Q1)
“How many paid sick hours could I use for our child’s appointments? Could you help me understand how using them affects my other leave before I choose?”
Why I’m asking: I want to understand which absences can be paid and how they affect my remaining leave.
More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules
Who does what
The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.
You
Ask for your balance and use the days.
Your social worker
Human resources tells you the balance and the employer's size band.
The care team
Records and letters when the application asks for them.
- Who decides
- Your employer applies the law.
- Ask HR
- “How many accrued sick and safe leave hours do I have, and which employer-size band are we in for the annual cap?”
How to apply
First step: Ask human resources for your accrued balance in writing.
- Ask human resources for your accrued sick leave balance in writing.
- Use paid days before unpaid ones.
Official application / program page ↗
Where it starts: Ask human resources how many hours you have accrued and use them.
What to gather
The diagnosis letter, the child’s insurance card, and the last two pay stubs cover most applications. The official page lists the rest.
How long: Available after 90 days of service.
What a yes looks like
Paid days on your payslip rather than lost pay.
What a no looks like, and the next move
Ask which size band the employer is in and how the accrual was worked out.
Watch out
- Size counts last year's average staff, not today's headcount.
- You cannot use these in the first 90 days of a job.
If they say no, quote this: D.C. Code § 32-531.02: paid leave caps of 3, 5 or 7 days a year by employer size, and § 32-531.02(b)(3) names caring for a child as a covered use.
The numbers and the rules
The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.
What it is worth
Three paid days a year at 24 or fewer employees, five at 25 to 99, seven at 100 or more.
- $3 — Paid days a year, employer with 24 or fewer employees
- $5 — Paid days a year, employer with 25 to 99 employees
- $7 — Paid days a year, employer with 100 or more employees
- $90 — Days of service before you can use accrued leave
Legal protection: An absence to care for an ill child is a use the law names
What it costs the family: Nothing: these are paid days.
The eligibility facts, as published
- Other
- Work in the District; use begins after 90 days of service. Size is the prior year's average full-time-equivalent staff.
- Residency
- Work in the District
The trap: Size is counted on the employer's average full-time-equivalent staff for last year, not today's headcount, so ask human resources rather than guessing.
Where I read this
- D.C. Code § 32-531.02 — Provision of paid leave — Council of the District of Columbia, read September 10, 2026
- D.C. Code § 32-531.01 — Definitions — Council of the District of Columbia, read September 10, 2026