S. 5280: Guaranteed Paid Vacation Act

The bill would require certain employers to give workers paid annual leave that they can use for any reason. Workers would earn 1 hour of paid leave for every 25 hours worked, up to a maximum of 80 hours per year. The leave could be used flexibly, rather than only for specific reasons such as illness or family emergencies.

How the leave would work

• Employees would accrue paid leave based on hours worked.
• Workers could carry unused leave over into the next year, subject to the bill’s rules.
• If an employee leaves a job, unused accrued leave would generally have to be paid out at termination.
• The bill includes notice requirements about how leave is requested and managed.

Worker protections and enforcement

• Employers would be prohibited from retaliating against workers for using or requesting leave.
• The Department of Labor would be able to enforce the law.
• Workers would also have the ability to bring private lawsuits to enforce their rights.

Effect on state and local laws

The bill would override weaker paid leave laws, but only to the extent those laws provide less protection or fewer benefits than this bill. Stronger leave rules already in place would generally not be displaced.

Relevant Companies

• None found