There are no federal laws in the U.S. that require businesses to pay workers for sick days. The closest thing is the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which requires larger companies to offer up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to workers with a serious medical condition.

But some cities and states are beginning to require paid sick time. Connecticut adopted such a requirement in 2012, and bills have now been introduced in the legislatures in Arizona, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and North Carolina.

In addition, paid sick time laws have been adopted recently by a number of cities, including New York; Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Portland, Oregon; and Jersey City, N.J.

These laws require a certain number of paid sick days based on the number of hours the employee works, with a typical maximum of five to seven days a year.