By April Handlir, Compliance Manager, EHD
Throughout the year, states make changes to laws that apply to employers in addition to group health plans. These changes are difficult to track within a single document. The 2025 calendar year was one for the books. If you have employees who reside and work in other states, generally, the laws must be followed even if the company is not located within the state imposing the law. This is not the same rule of thumb for a group health plan. Fully insured group health plans must follow the state mandates, but self-funded group health plans generally are exempt from these state mandates under ERISA. The leave and marijuana state laws discussed here apply to where the employee lives and works, regardless of the company’s base. This is food for thought when looking for remote candidates.
Remote Workers: If an employee works from their home in their state, then that state’s law applies.
Multi-State Workers: If an employee splits their time between states, employers may need to comply with both states’ laws or base it on the state where the majority of the work occurs.
Now, let’s talk leave changes: Did you know Alaska, Connecticut, Missouri, Nebraska, and Michigan passed paid sick leave laws with varying accrual rates, employer size thresholds, and phased implementation dates? Perhaps you read about the states that rolled out Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) programs varying in employer and employee contributions, increased weeks of leave, and updates to benefit payment start dates in Delaware, Maine, and Rhode Island. Then, Maryland, California, and Minnesota delayed the contribution start dates and effective dates for their PFML programs. Finally, let’s not forget states like Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Colorado, and Delaware that introduced or expanded paid parental or educator leave policies. Regardless of your current knowledge, maintaining a pulse on these rolling laws is critical for compliance.
Each of these sites offers a slightly different interactive experience, level of detail, type of leave law, and language. You can choose the one(s) that works best for your population. These updates are current as of January 2026, excluding the DOL paid family & medical leave map and the NCSL chart. EHD and our partner HRService are here to support you.
Marijuana Laws:
Marijuana Legality by State – 2026 | DISA – Interactive map with links to each state’s details for legalized, medical, decriminalized, CBD with THC only, and fully illegal designations.
Leave Laws:
Leave Laws by State – 2026 | COCOON – Interactive map and chart with links to each state’s leave specific to parental, medical, and caregiver.
Paid Leave | U.S. Department of Labor – Interactive maps that include paid family & medical leave (English or Spanish) and state paid sick leave laws with links to the individual states.
All Leave Laws by State – 2026 | Brightmine – A list of states with every leave law that applies within the state. Each state indicates paid and unpaid, as well as applicable employer size.
Leave Laws by State | NCSL – A visual chart and list of states with sick and safe leave laws, paid family and medical leave laws, and military exigency laws.
