Skip to the main content.
Talk to an expert
Talk to an expert
Featured Offer
Ambitious 50 →
6 months of Hire and Engage free for businesses under 50 people.

Hey Compono!

A coach that actually gets you.

Get 10 minutes free, then $15 a month. Cancel anytime.

Get Started ≫
Free tools › Sick pay by country

Sick pay: New Zealand vs United States

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

How does sick pay compare between New Zealand and US?

New Zealand: 10 days a year after 6 months' service, employer-funded, accumulating to a 20-day maximum. 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.

New Zealand vs United States, side by side

New ZealandUnited States
The rule10 days a year after 6 months' service, employer-funded, accumulating to a 20-day maximum.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 numbersEntitlement: 10 days a year from 6 months' service; Part-time: Full 10 days, not pro-rated; Cap: 20 days heldFederal paid sick leave: None; FMLA: 12 weeks unpaid, job-protected; FMLA eligibility: 12 months' service, 1,250 hours, 50+ employee sites

New Zealand

The Holidays Act gives 10 days' sick leave once an employee reaches 6 months' service, and the entitlement is not pro-rated, so part-timers get the full 10 days. Up to 10 unused days carry over each year, capped at 20 days held. The employer pays at relevant daily pay; there is no state reimbursement.

  • Entitlement10 days a year from 6 months' service
  • Part-timeFull 10 days, not pro-rated
  • Cap20 days held
  • Who paysEmployer
Length of serviceEntitlement
0 to 6 monthsNone (contract can be more generous)
From 6 months10 days a year, capped at 20 held
  • The Employment Leave Bill would move sick leave to pro-rated, hours-based accrual from day one, but it is still a bill; nothing changes before roughly 2028.

Source: Employment New Zealand (Holidays Act 2003, 10 days since 2021). 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 (New Zealand) 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
New ZealandEmployment New ZealandHolidays Act 2003, 10 days since 2021Checked 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 New Zealand?

10 days a year after 6 months' service, employer-funded, accumulating to a 20-day maximum. The Holidays Act gives 10 days' sick leave once an employee reaches 6 months' service, and the entitlement is not pro-rated, so part-timers get the full 10 days.

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 New Zealand 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 Employment New Zealand, the US Department of Labor or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.