sick leave
noun
1
: an absence from work permitted because of illness
2
: the number of days per year for which an employer agrees to pay employees who are sick
Examples of sick leave in a Sentence
employee benefits such as vacation time and sick leave
We are allotted three weeks annual sick leave.
He's been on sick leave since last Thursday.
Recent Examples on the Web
Just ask the 28% of private sector workers who do not get retirement benefits from their employer, the 28% who do not get health insurance, the 73% who do not have paid family leave, the 87% without child-care benefits, or the 20% who do not have paid sick leave.
—
Kathryn Anne Edwards, Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2026
In February 2024, he was hospitalized for an infection while on holiday in Malaysia, and the month prior was put on sick leave due to a respiratory infection.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
In an email to The Times, Newsom spokesperson Tara Gallegos said the governor had a strong record of fighting for workers’ rights, including raising the minimum wage and expanding sick leave and other worker protections.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
That includes full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers, and accounts for absenteeism resulting from sick leave, parental leave, vacation time, statutory holidays, illness, injury, and even bad weather and labour disputes.
—Joe O’Connor, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sick leave
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Kathryn Anne Edwards, Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2026
In February 2024, he was hospitalized for an infection while on holiday in Malaysia, and the month prior was put on sick leave due to a respiratory infection.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
In an email to The Times, Newsom spokesperson Tara Gallegos said the governor had a strong record of fighting for workers’ rights, including raising the minimum wage and expanding sick leave and other worker protections.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
That includes full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers, and accounts for absenteeism resulting from sick leave, parental leave, vacation time, statutory holidays, illness, injury, and even bad weather and labour disputes.
—Joe O’Connor, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sick leave
Cite this Entry
“Sick leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sick%20leave. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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