Ten states and the District of Columbia mandate that private employers give employees unpaid time off to attend activities at their child’s school or day-care. Eligibility and requirements for school-related leave laws vary. See below for more information by state.

California
Colorado
D.C.
Illinois
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Nevada
North Carolina
Rhode Island
Vermont

California

Employers with 25 or more employees at the same location must provide leave to attend school activities. Up to 40 hours per year, but no more than 8 hours per month, to participate in children’s educational activities. Employees must generally use accrued vacation or personal leave during the absence and provide reasonable advance notice. All employers must grant unpaid time off for employees to attend disciplinary meetings at their child’s school or childcare facility.

Colorado

The Colorado Small Necessities Leave Act allows employees who are the parents or legal guardians of children in grades K-12 to take up to 6 hours of unpaid leave in any month, up to a total of 18 hours in any school year, to attend school-related activities or parent-teacher conferences.

Washington, D.C.

All D.C. employers are mandated to provide up to 24 hours per year to participate in children’s educational activities. The leave is unpaid, unless employee elects to use accrued vacation or other paid time off. Employees must provide at least 10 days advance notice, unless the need for time off is not foreseeable.

Illinois

Employers with 50 or more employees must provide up to 8 hours of leave per school year, but no more than 4 hours on any day to attend a child’s school activities, and only when no other type of employee leave is available. The employee must have worked for at least six consecutive months for the company. Employees must provide at least seven days written notice and no more than four hours can be taken on any given day.

Louisiana

In Louisiana employers must provide up to 16 hours per year at the employer’s discretion to participate in children’s educational activities.  Employees may use any types of accrued leave to participate in his or her children’s educational activities. 

Massachusetts

All Massachusetts employers must allow up to 24 hours per year leave to participate in children’s educational activities or accompany a child, spouse, or elderly relative to a routine medical appointment, under the Small Necessities Leave Act. An employee may elect, or the employer may require the employee to use paid vacation, personal leave, medical or sick leave during the absence. If the need for leave is foreseeable, the employee must provide seven days’ notice.

Minnesota

Employers with one or more employees must provide up to 16 hours per year to participate in children’s educational activities. The employee must have worked for the employer for at least 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the request. An employee may use accrued vacation or other paid time off for the absence.

Nevada

Employers with 50 or more employees must allow up to four hours per school year for employed to attend school activities. The leave is unpaid and the employer may require the employee to provide up to five days written notice and the leave must be at a time mutually agreed upon by the employer and the employee. Nevada also makes it unlawful to terminate an employee for attending school conferences or for receiving notification of a child’s emergency at work.

North Carolina

All employers must allow up to 4 hours per year to participate in children’s educational activities. The leave must be at a time mutually agreed upon by the employer and employee. Additionally, the employer may require at least 48 hours written notice, along with verification from the school.

Rhode Island

Employers with 50 or more employees must provide up to 10 hours per year to participate in children’s educational activities. The leave is unpaid, however, an employee may substitute accrued vacation or other paid time off.

Vermont

Employers with 15 or more employees who are working an average of 30 or more hours per week are required to provide up to four hours in a 30-day period, not to exceed 24 hours in 12 months. Vermont law also provides an additional 24 hours in 12 months to attend to the routine or emergency medical needs of a child, spouse, parent, or parent-in-law or to participate in children’s educational activities.  This leave is limited to no more than 4 hours in any 30-day period. The employee must provide at least seven days’ notice, except in the case of an emergency, and the employee must make a reasonable attempt to schedule appointments outside of regular work hours.