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Free tools › Sick pay by country

Sick pay: Canada vs United States

Statutory sick pay in Canada and the US, side by side, with the primary source for every figure.

How does sick pay compare between Canada and US?

Canada: Ontario mandates 3 job-protected sick days a year, and they are unpaid. Federally regulated employees get 10 paid days; Quebec pays the first 2. United States: No federal paid sick leave. The FMLA protects up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave; paid mandates exist only at state and city level.

Canada vs United States, side by side

CanadaUnited States
The ruleOntario mandates 3 job-protected sick days a year, and they are unpaid. Federally regulated employees get 10 paid days; Quebec pays the first 2.No federal paid sick leave. The FMLA protects up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave; paid mandates exist only at state and city level.
Key numbersOntario: 3 days a year, unpaid, job-protected; Federally regulated: 10 paid days, accruing 1 per month; Quebec: 2 paid days after 3 monthsFederal paid sick leave: None; FMLA: 12 weeks unpaid, job-protected; FMLA eligibility: 12 months' service, 1,250 hours, 50+ employee sites

Canada

This is the market where generalising goes wrong fastest. Ontario's ESA gives 3 unpaid, job-protected sick days a year (the paid pandemic-era days ended in 2023). Federally regulated employers owe up to 10 paid medical days, accruing monthly. Quebec pays 2 days after 3 months' service, BC mandates 5 paid days, and the rest of the provinces write their own rules.

  • Ontario3 days a year, unpaid, job-protected
  • Federally regulated10 paid days, accruing 1 per month
  • Quebec2 paid days after 3 months
  • Province variationSubstantial (BC 5 paid days)
  • Any copy implying Ontario has statutory paid sick days is wrong as of July 2026.
  • Federal paid days accrue monthly, so a new hire does not start with 10.

Source: Ontario ESA guide (Unpaid regime since 2019). 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.

Hiring in both markets?

Put a full number on each side with the true-cost calculators: True cost of an employee (Canada) and True cost of an employee (US). The complete six-market picture is on the Sick pay by country page.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from the government source for its market.

MarketSourceRule / effectiveVerified
CanadaOntario ESA guideUnpaid regime since 2019Checked July 2026
United StatesUS Department of LaborFMLA 1993; state count per CRS R48921, Apr 2026Checked July 2026
Where Compono fits

Comparing entitlements is the easy half of hiring across markets. The hard half is whether the person you hire in Sydney, Singapore or Seattle will actually work out, and that risk looks the same in every jurisdiction. Compono matches candidates on how they work, not just what the CV claims, so the hires behind these numbers hold up wherever you make them.

See how it works

Common questions

What is the rule on sick pay in Canada?

Ontario mandates 3 job-protected sick days a year, and they are unpaid. Federally regulated employees get 10 paid days; Quebec pays the first 2. This is the market where generalising goes wrong fastest.

What is the rule on sick pay in the US?

No federal paid sick leave. The FMLA protects up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave; paid mandates exist only at state and city level. Federal law does not require a single paid sick day for private-sector employees.

Where can I check the source figures?

The sources section below links the Canada and the US government pages every figure on this page was verified against in July 2026.

This page is general information, not legal advice. We check figures annually and update them on a best-efforts basis, but employment rules change and we cannot promise everything here is current or complete. Before you act on it, confirm the detail with your provincial employment standards office, the US Department of Labor or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.