Last updated: 2026-09-21.
Statewide MandateHow Michigan's real statutory thresholds apply to specific employer profiles. Each section re-frames the state law above for one audience — the underlying figures never change, only the lens does.
For employers with fewer than 15 employees: Michigan requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid). No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.michigan.gov/leo; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid)". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For employers with 50 or more employees: Michigan requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid). No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.michigan.gov/leo; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid)". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant, café, and food-service operators: Michigan requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid). No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.michigan.gov/leo; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including restaurants & food service, use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 72 hours (11+); 40 hours (10 or fewer, may be unpaid). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores, shops, and chains: Michigan requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid). No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.michigan.gov/leo; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including retail employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 72 hours (11+); 40 hours (10 or fewer, may be unpaid). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics, hospitals, and healthcare staffing: Michigan requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid). No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.michigan.gov/leo; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including healthcare employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 72 hours (11+); 40 hours (10 or fewer, may be unpaid). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hr teams onboarding new employees: Michigan requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid). No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.michigan.gov/leo; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid)". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant and food-service operators with fewer than 15 employees: Michigan requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid). No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.michigan.gov/leo; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small restaurants (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 72 hours (11+); 40 hours (10 or fewer, may be unpaid). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant groups and chains with 50 or more employees: Michigan requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid). No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.michigan.gov/leo; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large restaurants & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 72 hours (11+); 40 hours (10 or fewer, may be unpaid). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores and shops with fewer than 15 employees: Michigan requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid). No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.michigan.gov/leo; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small retail (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 72 hours (11+); 40 hours (10 or fewer, may be unpaid). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail chains with 50 or more employees: Michigan requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid). No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.michigan.gov/leo; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large retail & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 72 hours (11+); 40 hours (10 or fewer, may be unpaid). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics and healthcare practices with fewer than 15 employees: Michigan requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid). No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.michigan.gov/leo; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small healthcare (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 72 hours (11+); 40 hours (10 or fewer, may be unpaid). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hospitals and healthcare systems with 50 or more employees: Michigan requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid). No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.michigan.gov/leo; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large healthcare systems (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid), accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 72 hours (11+); 40 hours (10 or fewer, may be unpaid). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Statewide mandate | Yes |
| Employer threshold | 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid) |
| Accrual rate | 1 hour per 30 hours worked |
| Max accrual / year | 72 hours (11+); 40 hours (10 or fewer, may be unpaid) |
| Paid or unpaid | paid |
| Carryover | Yes |
| Qualified reasons | Own/family illness, preventive care. |
| Effective date | Feb 21, 2025 |
| Official source | https://www.michigan.gov/leo ↗ |
Michigan has no federal paid sick-leave mandate to rely on — the FFCRA expired and the Healthy Families Act never passed. The federal FMLA is unpaid and limited to 50+ employee employers. Michigan's Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA, MCL 408.963, current version effective Feb 21, 2025 after the Michigan Supreme Court restored the 2018 petition-initiated law) applies to nearly all employers, pays for the leave, and is far broader than the federal floor. Note that ESTA does not apply to certain employees excluded by the 2018 initiative — verify scope with LEO before treating a worker as exempt.
Among Great Lakes states, Michigan's ESTA is broader than Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin, which have no statewide paid sick-leave law. Illinois (any-reason, 1 hr/40 hrs, all employers) and Minnesota (1 hr/30 hrs, all employers) are the regional peers, but Michigan's 1-in-30 rate matches Minnesota's generosity while its 72-hour cap for 11+ employers exceeds Illinois's 40-hour cap. The key Michigan wrinkle is the small-employer tier: businesses with 10 or fewer employees must still provide 40 hours, but may provide it unpaid — a split few neighbors use.
| Year | Change |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Michigan Earned Sick Time Act placed on the ballot as a citizen initiative; the legislature 'adopted and amended' it in 2018–2019. |
| 2024 (Jul 2024) | Michigan Supreme Court ruled the 'adopt-and-amend' maneuver unconstitutional, reviving the original 2018 ESTA. |
| 2025 (eff. Feb 21, 2025) | Restored ESTA (MCL 408.963) takes effect — 1 hr/30 hrs, 72 hrs (11+) / 40 hrs (≤10, unpaid allowed), broad qualifying reasons; small-employer (≤10) compliance phase-in through late 2025. |
Employers in Michigan most often trip on the items below. Amounts are typical statutory ranges — confirm the current figure with the state labor department before acting.
| Violation | Typical penalty / fine | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Denying accrued sick time or failing to provide ESTA leave | LEO (Michigan Dept. of Labor & Economic Opportunity, Wage and Hour Division) enforces; typical assessed penalties cited by practitioners run around $1,000 per violation, plus restitution of denied leave — confirm the current statutory figure with LEO before acting. | Miscounting the 11-employee threshold is a frequent error. |
| Retaliation | Prohibited; employees may recover back wages, reinstatement, and damages. | 'Use-it-or-lose-it' policies that violate carryover are a common violation. |
| Treating small firms as fully exempt | Businesses with 10 or fewer employees still owe 40 hours (may be unpaid) — failing to provide even unpaid leave is non-compliant. | The ≤10 tier is unpaid, not exempt. |
Use the button below to print or save a one-page compliance summary for Michigan. It includes the state law table and any local ordinances above.
Yes. Michigan requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid). Accrual is 1 hour per 30 hours worked, capped at 72 hours (11+); 40 hours (10 or fewer, may be unpaid), with carryover Yes.
Employees accrue 1 hour per 30 hours worked. The max accrual is 72 hours (11+); 40 hours (10 or fewer, may be unpaid).
No local ordinances are tracked for Michigan beyond the state law.
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