Australia
Sick and carer's leave are one combined entitlement under the National Employment Standards: 1/26 of ordinary annual hours, which lands at 10 days on a standard week. The employer pays at the base rate, there are no waiting days, unused balance rolls over indefinitely, and casuals are excluded (their loading compensates).
- Entitlement10 days a year full-time, pro-rata part-time
- Who paysEmployer, at base rate
- Waiting daysNone
- CarryoverUnlimited
- Not paid out on termination, unlike annual leave.
- Strictly an hours-based entitlement: 10 days assumes a five-day pattern.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman (NES, in force since 2010). Checked July 2026.
United States
Federal law does not require a single paid sick day for private-sector employees. The FMLA gives eligible employees of covered employers up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave a year. Paid sick leave exists where states and cities mandate it, currently 17 states plus DC, each with its own accrual rules.
- Federal paid sick leaveNone
- FMLA12 weeks unpaid, job-protected
- FMLA eligibility12 months' service, 1,250 hours, 50+ employee sites
- State mandates17 states plus DC (2026)
- BLS puts typical private-sector practice at about 7 paid sick days after a year, so market practice and legal minimum are very different things in the US.
Source: US Department of Labor (FMLA 1993; state count per CRS R48921, Apr 2026). Checked July 2026.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the government source for its market.
.webp)
.png?width=383&height=200&name=team%20(1).png)
