Bill > HB2597

This bill establishes a right to paid sick leave for all employees working in Kansas, effective January 1, 2027, requiring employers to provide at least two hours of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, with a maximum of 40 hours of accrual and usage per year, though employers can offer more generous terms. Employees begin to accrue this leave upon hiring and can use it as it's earned, with unused leave carrying over up to 40 hours annually, but employers are not generally required to pay out unused leave upon termination unless it's to remedy a retaliatory action that prevented its use, though accrued leave must be reinstated if an employee is rehired within six months. Paid sick leave can be used for various reasons, including an employee's own illness or injury, to care for a family member with a health condition, for issues related to domestic abuse or sexual assault, or when a public health emergency or severe weather closes a child's school or place of care, or necessitates evacuation from a residence. Employers can establish reasonable procedures for requesting leave, but cannot deny it for noncompliance with such policies, and while employees should make a good faith effort to provide advance notice for foreseeable leave, employers can only request reasonable documentation if the leave is for four or more consecutive workdays. The bill also clarifies that "employment" for these purposes includes those compensated on a fee-for-service basis but excludes independent contractors, and the Secretary of Labor will adopt rules to implement these provisions.

Business and Industry

https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2597/