Pittsburgh Paid Sick Days Act for restaurants: the 2026 rules

Pittsburgh has a Paid Sick Days Act that covers employees who work in the city, and it was changed in 2026. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the ordinance, which survived years of legal challenge, and the city's amendments took effect on January 1, 2026. This guide, last checked in October 2026, explains the main rules for restaurant owners. It is general information, not legal advice. Read the ordinance and the city's guidance for the current text.

Who is covered?

The sources say the law applies to employers of any size, and to any business with at least one employee working in the city, wherever the business is based. That means a small cafe in Lawrenceville and a restaurant group headquartered elsewhere with a downtown location are both covered for the staff who work in Pittsburgh. Check how the ordinance treats hours worked partly inside and partly outside the city if you have multiple locations.

How does accrual work after the 2026 change?

Before 2026, employees accrued one hour of paid sick leave for every 35 hours worked. Law firm summaries of City Council's June 2025 ordinance say that the rate became one hour per 30 hours from January 1, 2026, for employers of every size. The annual caps rose as well: for employers with 15 or more employees, from 40 to 72 hours, and for smaller employers, from 24 to 48 hours. Do not use the older figures in your payroll setup, and confirm the figures in the city's current guidance.

What did the Supreme Court decide?

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the Pittsburgh ordinance, reversing lower courts that had struck it down, on the reasoning that its main purpose is public health: it discourages employees from coming to work while ill and so reduces the spread of disease. The decision matters to you because it ends the argument that the city lacks authority, and it signals that other cities may pass similar rules. The practical result is that employers in Pittsburgh must comply.

What can employees use sick days for?

Typical covered reasons are the employee's own illness or injury or medical care, care for a family member and time needed because of domestic violence or related issues. Employers may set reasonable notice rules and documentation rules for longer absences, within the limits of the ordinance. Retaliation against an employee who uses sick days is prohibited. Make your policy clear in the handbook, and train managers.

How do you set up payroll and scheduling?

Update your payroll system to the new accrual rate and the new caps. Track accrued and used hours for each employee who works in the city and show the balance on the pay stub or in an app. Decide whether you will front-load leave at the start of the year, which can simplify record keeping, if the ordinance allows it. Cross-train staff so that an absence does not close a station, and keep a call list. Do not penalize workers who call in sick.

What about tipped workers and seasonal staff?

Sick pay is calculated at the regular rate under most ordinances, and the treatment of tipped workers should be checked in the city's guidance. Ask the city and your accountant how to calculate pay for a server with a low cash wage. Seasonal and part-time workers earn leave as they work, so a patio-season hire may accrue some by the end of the summer. Do not assume they are excluded.

How does it compare with Philadelphia and Connecticut?

Philadelphia has its own sick leave ordinance with a different accrual rate and rules, covered in a separate guide in this series. Connecticut's statewide law is expanding to cover all employers in 2027, as a separate Connecticut guide explains. A business with sites in more than one jurisdiction needs a policy for each.

What should you do this month?

Compare your payroll accrual setting with the 2026 figures. Review your handbook, your posting and your pay stub. Look at the city's guidance for any rule on notice, documentation and employer records. Train managers on how to respond to a sick call, and make sure nobody asks an employee to find a replacement. If you are unsure how the rule applies to you, speak to an employment attorney.

Do the sums for your own team. A full-time employee working 2,000 hours a year accrues about 66 hours at one hour per 30 hours worked, which sits just under the 72-hour cap for a larger employer and above the 48-hour cap for a smaller one. A part-time worker at 20 hours a week accrues about 34 hours. Multiply by the number of people to see the maximum exposure, then compare with your current usage. Most restaurants use only a fraction of the allowance, and an honest forecast helps you plan staffing without a surprise.

Food safety adds a second reason to take the policy seriously. A cook with a stomach illness who comes to work because they cannot afford to lose a shift is a risk to every guest. Health codes expect ill food workers to be excluded from the kitchen, and a sick leave policy that people trust makes that exclusion work in practice. Say so in your training: staying home is the right call, you will not penalize it, and the leave is there to use. Managers should model the same behavior, since staff watch what the boss does.

More guides for your business:

• How to respond to a bad restaurant review without breaking the FTC rule
• How to reduce restaurant no-shows in Utah, Pennsylvania, Connecticut
• How to set up online ordering without the delivery apps (2026)

More in the US guides for food businesses.