HR laws by state
HR laws by state for small employers
Federal law sets the floor, and the state where each employee works adds its own rules on top: when the final paycheck is due, how much paid sick leave people earn, whether job posts need a pay range and which notices you hand out. Here are ten states side by side, each with its own page and official sources.
Pick a state
The rules follow where the employee works, not where the company is based.
California
California is stricter than federal law for small employers: the 2026 statewide minimum wage is $16.90 an hour, overtime starts after 8 hours in a day, employees get at least 40 hours or 5 days of paid sick leave a year, job posts need a pay scale once you have 15 employees, and a fired employee must be paid in full on the last day.
See California rules →Colorado
Colorado's main HR rules apply from your first employee: every job posting must show the pay range, a benefits description and an application deadline, everyone earns paid sick leave (1 hour per 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours a year), and FAMLI paid leave premiums are 0.88% of wages in 2026.
See Colorado rules →Florida
Florida adds few rules to federal law: there is no state paid sick leave, no state family leave program, no pay range rule for job posts and no state deadline for final paychecks.
See Florida rules →Georgia
Georgia adds few rules on top of federal law for small employers: it has no state paid sick leave law, no pay transparency law and no final paycheck deadline for private employers.
See Georgia rules →Illinois
Illinois requires employers with 15 or more employees to include the pay scale and benefits in job postings, gives most workers up to 40 hours a year of paid leave they can use for any reason, and requires final pay, earned vacation included, by the next regularly scheduled payday.
See Illinois rules →Massachusetts
Massachusetts goes well beyond federal law for small employers: every employer must offer up to 40 hours a year of earned sick time (paid at 11 or more employees), send in Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) contributions, and pay a fired employee in full on the day of discharge, earned vacation included.
See Massachusetts rules →New Jersey
New Jersey reaches small employers early: up to 40 hours of earned sick leave a year from the first employee, pay ranges and benefits in job posts at 10 or more employees, job-protected family leave at 15 or more employees (since July 17, 2026), state disability and family leave insurance paying 85% of wages up to $1,119 a week in 2026, and final pay by the regular payday for the pay period in which employment ended.
See New Jersey rules →New York
New York adds a lot to federal law, even for very small teams: pay ranges in job posts once you have 4 or more employees, a signed pay notice at hire, up to 40 hours of sick leave a year (56 at 100 or more employees) plus 20 hours of paid prenatal leave, up to 12 weeks of Paid Family Leave, and final pay by the regular payday for the last pay period worked, with a written termination notice within 5 working days.
See New York rules →Texas
Texas mostly follows federal law: the minimum wage is the federal $7.25 an hour, there is no state paid sick leave or pay transparency law, and workers' compensation insurance is optional for most private employers.
See Texas rules →Washington
Washington requires paid sick leave of 1 hour for every 40 hours worked, state Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums of 1.13% of wages in 2026, and a wage range plus a benefits description in every job posting once you have 15 or more employees.
See Washington rules →
Final pay deadlines
| State | Final pay when you end employment | Final pay when they quit | Unused vacation at exit |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | All wages, including accrued vacation, are due immediately at the time of termination. Late final pay can cost a day of wages for each day it is late, up to 30 days. | Due within 72 hours of quitting. If the employee gave at least 72 hours of notice, pay is due on their last day. | Earned, unused vacation must be paid out at the final rate of pay. Use-it-or-lose-it policies are illegal, but a reasonable cap on accrual is allowed. |
| Colorado | Immediately. If the payroll office is closed, within 6 hours of the start of its next workday, or 24 hours if payroll is handled off-site. | By the next regular payday. | Required. All earned, unused vacation must be paid at separation, and any policy that forfeits it is void. |
| Florida | No Florida law sets a deadline, and federal law does not require immediate payment. Pay by the next regular payday. | Same: no state deadline. Pay by the next regular payday. | No Florida law requires payout. Your written policy or agreement controls, so put the rule in writing. |
| Georgia | No Georgia statute sets a final paycheck deadline for private employers. Paying on the next regular payday is the safe default. | No Georgia statute sets a deadline. Pay on the next regular payday, and give the employee a Separation Notice (DOL-800) on their last day. | No Georgia statute requires paying out unused vacation. Your written policy or agreement controls. |
| Illinois | At separation if possible, and no later than the next regularly scheduled payday. | The same rule: at separation if possible, and no later than the next regularly scheduled payday. | Required. Earned vacation is paid at the final rate of pay, and no policy may make it forfeit at separation. Leave given only under the Paid Leave for All Workers Act does not have to be paid out unless it sits in a vacation or general PTO bank. |
| Massachusetts | In full on the day of discharge, including earned vacation. | In full on the next regular payday, or the following Saturday if there is no regular payday. | Required. Vacation promised under an oral or written agreement counts as wages and goes in the final paycheck. Unused earned sick time does not have to be paid out. |
| New Jersey | By the regular payday for the pay period in which employment ended. Mail it if the employee asks. | Same rule: by the regular payday for the pay period in which employment ended. | No New Jersey law requires payout. Follow your written policy or agreement: the state does enforce vacation pay you have promised. |
| New York | By the regular payday for the pay period in which employment ended. Also give a written notice of the end date and the date benefits stop within 5 working days. | Same rule: by the regular payday for the pay period in which employment ended. Mail it if the employee asks. | Earned vacation must be paid out unless your written policy told employees in advance that it is forfeited. Unused sick leave does not have to be paid out. |
| Texas | Pay in full no later than the sixth calendar day after the discharge. | Pay in full no later than the next regularly scheduled payday. | Owed only if your written policy or agreement promises it. No Texas law requires paying out unused vacation. |
| Washington | On or before the next regularly scheduled payday. | On or before the next regularly scheduled payday, the same as a firing. | Not required by state law. Payout follows your written policy or agreement. |
Paid sick leave and family leave
| State | Paid sick leave | Paid family and medical leave |
|---|---|---|
| California | Employees earn at least 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. You may limit use to 40 hours or 5 days a year and cap the balance at 80 hours or 10 days. | Paid Family Leave (PFL) pays up to 8 weeks of benefits through EDD at about 70 to 90 percent of wages. Job protection comes from the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), which covers employers with 5 or more employees. |
| Colorado | Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA): 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours a year, for all employees of every employer. | FAMLI: the 2026 premium is 0.88% of wages, split 0.44% employer and 0.44% employee. Employers with 9 or fewer employees send in only the 0.44% employee share. Up to 12 weeks of paid leave. |
| Florida | No state law. Florida also bars cities and counties from requiring private employers to provide benefits beyond state and federal law. | No state program. Federal FMLA (50 or more employees) is the main job-protected leave. Florida adds up to 3 working days of domestic violence leave at 50 or more employees. |
| Georgia | No Georgia law requires paid sick leave. Employers with 25 or more employees that do offer sick leave must let employees who work 30 or more hours a week use up to 5 days a year of it to care for immediate family. | Georgia has no state paid family or medical leave program for private employers. Leave rights come from federal law, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), if you are covered. |
| Illinois | Paid Leave for All Workers Act: 1 hour for every 40 worked, up to 40 hours in 12 months, usable for any reason after 90 days. Chicago and Cook County follow their own ordinances instead. | No state law requires paid parental leave, according to the Illinois Department of Labor. Eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave under the federal FMLA. |
| Massachusetts | Employees earn at least 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year. The time must be paid at 11 or more employees and can be unpaid below that. | State PFML program: up to 12 weeks of family leave, 20 weeks of medical leave, 26 weeks combined per benefit year. The 2026 contribution is 0.88% of eligible wages (0.46% with fewer than 25 covered individuals). |
| New Jersey | All employers, any size: 1 hour per 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year. Usable from the 120th day of employment. No payout required at separation. | Family Leave Insurance pays 85% of average weekly wages, up to $1,119 a week in 2026, for up to 12 weeks (or 56 separate days). Temporary Disability Insurance covers the employee's own illness. Both are funded by payroll deductions and both are job-protected. |
| New York | 1 hour per 30 hours worked. Up to 40 hours a year at 1 to 99 employees (unpaid at 1 to 4 employees unless net income was over $1 million) and 56 paid hours at 100 or more. Plus 20 hours of paid prenatal leave. | New York Paid Family Leave: up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave at 67% of average weekly pay, capped at $1,228.53 a week in 2026. Employees fund it through a payroll deduction of 0.432% of wages. |
| Texas | No Texas law requires paid or unpaid sick leave. If your written policy promises it, the Texas Payday Law enforces that promise. | Texas has no state paid family or medical leave program. Leave rights come from federal law, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), if you are covered. |
| Washington | At least 1 hour for every 40 hours worked, from the first day, for non-exempt employees. Usable after 90 days, and up to 40 unused hours carry over. | State Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML). The 2026 premium is 1.13% of wages; employees can be charged up to 71.43% of it, and employers with 50 or more employees pay the rest. |
Job posts and new hires
| State | Pay range in job posts | New-hire reporting |
|---|---|---|
| California | Employers with 15 or more employees must put a good faith pay scale in every job posting. Any employer must give an applicant the pay scale on reasonable request, and a current employee the pay scale for their own job on request. | Report each new or rehired employee to the Employment Development Department (EDD) within 20 calendar days of their first day of work, on Form DE 34 or through e-Services for Business. |
| Colorado | Every employer with at least one Colorado employee must list the pay or pay range, a general description of benefits, and how and by when to apply in each posting, and must tell current employees about openings. | Report to the Colorado State Directory of New Hires within 20 calendar days of hire, or by the first scheduled payroll after that if it falls later. |
| Florida | No state law requires it. Roles based in states that do require pay ranges follow those states' rules. | Within 20 days of the hire date, to the Florida Department of Revenue. Independent contractors paid $600 or more a year are reported within 20 days of their start date or first payment. |
| Georgia | No Georgia law requires pay ranges in job posts. | Report every new hire and rehire to the Georgia New Hire Reporting Program within 10 days of the hire date, under O.C.G.A. 19-11-9.2. No employer is exempt. |
| Illinois | Required at 15 or more employees (counted inside and outside Illinois) for postings made or republished after January 1, 2025. The post must show the pay or pay range plus a general description of benefits. | Report each new hire to the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) within 20 days of the first day on the payroll, online, by fax or by mail. |
| Massachusetts | Required at 25 or more employees in Massachusetts since October 29, 2025. The posting must show the annual salary or hourly wage range you reasonably and in good faith expect to pay. | Report every new hire to the Department of Revenue (DOR) within 14 days of the start date. This applies to all employers, whatever their size. |
| New Jersey | Required since June 1, 2025 at 10 or more employees over 20 calendar weeks, counting staff inside and outside New Jersey. Posts must show the pay or pay range, a general description of benefits, and other compensation such as bonuses or commissions. | Within 20 days of the hire or rehire date, to the New Jersey New Hire Reporting Center. |
| New York | Required at 4 or more employees for jobs performed at least partly in New York or reporting to a New York location. Post the pay or pay range and the job description if one exists. New York City has its own posting law at the same size. | Within 20 calendar days of the hire date, to the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance. Independent contractors with contracts over $2,500 must be reported too. |
| Texas | No Texas law requires pay ranges in job posts. | Report new hires and rehires to the Attorney General's Child Support Division within 20 calendar days of the day they start earning wages. Texas law also makes independent contractors reportable. |
| Washington | Employers with 15 or more employees must show the wage scale or salary range and a general description of benefits and other pay in every job posting, including postings placed by a recruiter or job board. | Report new and rehired employees to the Division of Child Support (DCS) within 20 days of the start date. |
Each state page lists the official sources behind these summaries. Cities can add their own rules on top of state law. For the federal rules that apply at each company size, see HR laws by company size, and for step-by-step answers see all HR guides. General information, not legal advice.