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The Mandate Monitor

What employers in the District of Columbia must do

Checked November 9, 2026From the agencies that run each program

Short answer

Employers in the District of Columbia must pay at least $18.40 an hour.

The District of Columbia runs a paid leave program, DC Paid Family Leave, funded by a premium of 0.75% of wages in 2026.

The next dated change in the District of Columbia is January 1, 2027: DC Paid Family Leave medical leave benefits start being treated as third-party sick pay under IRS Revenue Ruling 2025-4, which makes them subject to Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes, according to DOES.

Does your payroll handle DC Paid Family Leave? See the free state route and the 3 payroll systems with help docs that cover it.

District of Columbia requirements at a glance

RequirementStatusWhat it means for you
Minimum wageIn effect$18.40 an hour
Paid leave: DC Paid Family LeaveIn effectEmployers of any size that must pay DC unemployment insurance tax, for each employee who spends more than half of their work time in DC, or who is based in DC, works there regularly and spends no more than half of their time in any other jurisdiction. The federal government, the DC government and employers DC is not allowed to tax are not covered. Self-employed people may opt in.

Pay rules District of Columbia employers must follow

Paydays
At least twice a month, within 10 working days after the pay period ends. Executive, administrative and professional employees may be paid monthly.
Final paycheck, fired
By the next working day after the discharge.
Final paycheck, quit
By the next regular payday or within 7 days of quitting, whichever is earlier.
Meal breaks
We found no state requirement for adults.
Rest breaks
We found no state requirement for adults.
Overtime
Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek, the same as the federal rule.
New hire reporting
Within 20 days of hire or rehire, to the District of Columbia Directory of New Hires

From the Department of Employment Services (DOES) and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables, checked November 7, 2026.

What changed in District of Columbia

  1. · Took effect

    DC Paid Family Leave cuts benefit weeks and the weekly maximum

    For claims filed from October 1, 2026, DC Paid Family Leave pays up to 10 weeks of medical leave (was 12) and 6 weeks of family leave (was 12), with a maximum weekly benefit of $1,100 (was $1,190). Parental and prenatal leave are unchanged, and so is the employer-paid 0.75% premium. The change is in the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Support Act of 2026 (D.C. Law 26-189, effective October 2, 2026). The shorter medical and family leave limits apply to claims filed before October 1, 2030.

Every change, newest first

Upcoming District of Columbia deadlines

  1. · Paid leave

    DC Paid Family Leave: DC Paid Family Leave medical leave benefits start being treated as third-party sick pay under IRS Revenue Ruling 2025-4, which makes them subject to Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes, according to DOES

  2. · Paid leave

    DC Paid Family Leave: Paid Family Leave tax due for October through December 2026 wages, filed with the quarterly unemployment insurance wage report

    The DC Department of Employment Services lists January 31, 2027, which falls on a Sunday.

  3. · Paid leave

    DC Paid Family Leave: Annual filers, such as household employers, report 2026 wages and pay the Paid Family Leave tax with their annual unemployment insurance report

  4. · Paid leave

    DC Paid Family Leave: First yearly adjustment of the $1,100 maximum weekly benefit by the Washington-Baltimore consumer price index, if the District’s Chief Financial Officer certifies that the fund has enough money

Deadline calendar for every state · How to hire your first employee · Employer law changes for 2027 · All states

Sources

  1. D.C. Department of Employment Services, Office of Wage-Hour
  2. DC Department of Employment Services (DOES), Office of Paid Family Leave
  3. State Payday Requirements (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  4. Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  5. Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  6. State Minimum Wage Laws, including premium (overtime) pay after designated hours (updated November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  7. D.C. Code § 32-1302, Paydays, Council of the District of Columbia (read Nov 8, 2026)
  8. D.C. Code § 32-1303, Payment of wages upon discharge or resignation, Council of the District of Columbia (read Nov 7, 2026)
  9. D.C. Code § 32-1003, Minimum wage and overtime, Council of the District of Columbia (read Nov 7, 2026)
  10. Reporting Fundamentals, District of Columbia Directory of New Hires (Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia) (read Nov 7, 2026)