Colorado Paid Sick Leave Accrual Calculator

Estimate paid sick leave accrual under the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act: one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year.

Colorado's Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (C.R.S. § 8-13.3-402, effective January 1, 2021 for employers with 16+ employees; January 1, 2022 for all employers) requires at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, capped at 48 hours per year. — Colorado CDLE — Paid Leave Programs

Scope: This calculator models the Colorado statewide minimum under HFWA. Supplemental public-health-emergency leave, local ordinances, and employer frontloading arrangements are outside this tool's scope.

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Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA)

Under C.R.S. § 8-13.3-402, covered employees accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Accrual begins on the first day of employment and continues throughout the accrual year.

Basic formula

raw accrual = hours worked / 30 accrual counted = min(raw accrual, annual cap) estimated balance = prior balance + accrual counted - leave used

Annual accrual cap

The annual cap on accrual is 48 hours per year for all covered employers. A more generous employer policy, contract, or local ordinance may allow a higher balance.

When can leave be used?

Accrued leave may first be used on the first day of employment (no waiting period for accrual; use may begin upon hire). Hours continue accruing during the waiting period; the balance shown here may not yet be legally available to take.

Carryover and year-end balance

Up to 48 hours of unused HFWA paid sick leave carries forward to the next year. Employers may limit carry-forward to 48 hours. A more generous employer policy or local ordinance may preserve more.

Leave payout at separation

Colorado HFWA does not require payout of unused paid sick leave at separation under the statewide minimum. A specific employer policy or contract may create a separate obligation.

What this calculator does not determine

Whether a particular employer or worker is covered by HFWA.
Whether an employer uses a compliant frontloading arrangement instead of per-hour accrual.
Whether a public health emergency entitles the employee to additional supplemental leave.
Whether a local ordinance (such as Denver) requires a more generous benefit.
Whether a specific absence qualifies as an authorized use of HFWA sick leave.

Worked examples

Example 1: full-time employee, two-week pay period

hours worked = 80 raw accrual = 80 / 30 = 2.667 hours annual cap = 48 hours counted accrual = 2.667 hours

Example 2: full year of full-time work

hours worked = 2,080 raw accrual = 2,080 / 30 = 69.333 hours annual cap = 48 hours counted accrual = 48.0 hours

Sources and verification

The accrual rule, 48-hour annual cap, carryover, and effective dates are sourced from C.R.S. § 8-13.3-402 and the Colorado CDLE Paid Leave Programs page, verified August 2026. See the site's methodology for how rules become tested calculator logic.

Common questions

Does Colorado HFWA have a waiting period before leave can be used?

No. Under HFWA, leave may be used as it accrues from the first day of employment. There is no 90-day waiting period under the statewide minimum — employees may use leave as they earn it.

How much Colorado paid sick leave carries over each year?

Up to 48 hours of unused HFWA paid sick leave carries forward to the next year. The carry-forward is capped at 48 hours under the statewide minimum. Employers may be more generous.

Is Colorado sick leave paid out when employment ends?

HFWA does not require payout of unused paid sick leave at separation. A specific employer policy promising payout would be a separate contractual obligation.

Do overtime hours count toward Colorado sick leave accrual?

Yes. HFWA accrual is based on all hours worked. Overtime hours count the same as regular hours — one hour of leave per 30 hours worked, regardless of pay rate.

Can an employer frontload Colorado paid sick leave?

Yes. HFWA allows employers to frontload the full annual 48-hour entitlement at the beginning of the year instead of tracking per-hour accrual. Frontloading employers do not have to track accrual, but they must still allow 48 hours of leave per year and carry unused leave forward.