Pittsburgh, PA
Employment and Labor Alert
(by Janet Meub and Steve Antonelli)
Employers that have a presence within the city limits of Pittsburgh should be aware of upcoming changes to the city’s paid sick leave law. Currently, the City of Pittsburgh’s Paid Sick Days Act requires businesses within the city limits to provide one hour of sick leave for every thirty-five hours worked. For businesses that employ fifteen or more employees, this requirement is capped at forty hours per year. For businesses with fewer than fifteen employees, the cap is twenty-four hours per year.
On June 10, 2025, Pittsburgh City Council voted unanimously to amend the law. Effective January 1, 2026, barring any legal challenges, the Act will permit employees to earn up to thirty more hours per year at a faster rate. Specifically, employees will earn one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty hours worked. The annual caps will increase to seventy-two hours of paid sick leave for employers with more than fifteen employees and forty-eight hours for businesses with fewer than fifteen employees.
All employers, not just those within the City of Pittsburgh, should routinely confirm that they are in compliance with local laws. In particular, they should ensure that their human resources department and third-party payroll vendor are aware of recent changes to local laws, like this one. They should also update policy documents and/or employee handbooks accordingly.
Babst Calland’s Employment and Labor Group can assist employers that are subject to the Act by helping them evaluate eligible employees and hours worked and structuring a sick leave policy that complies with the Act. For more information about the Act’s requirements and how Babst Calland can assist you, please contact Janet K. Meub at (412) 394-6506 or jmeub@babstcalland.com or Stephen A. Antonelli at (412) 394-5668 or santonelli@babstcalland.com.
