Jim Jantz, JD
Director of Compliance – Absence, Disability, & Life
Paid sick leave continues to expand across the United States. In 2024, voters in Alaska, Missouri, and Nebraska approved new paid sick leave initiatives, meaning employees in these states will soon have access to paid sick leave benefits. While regulatory details are still being finalized, employers should start preparing now to comply with these upcoming requirements.
Here’s what you need to know about the new paid sick leave laws in each state and the next steps for your business.
Alaska: Paid sick leave starting July 2025
Alaska’s Ballot Measure No. 1 required the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to create regulations for paid sick leave, effective July 1, 2025.
- Applied to all employers, with different rules based on size.
- Employers with 15+ employees: Accrual of 1 hour per 30 hours worked, up to 56 hours annually.
- Employers with fewer than 15 employees: Same accrual rate, max 40 hours annually.
- Leave could be used for personal illness, family care, or safe leave reasons.
- Unused hours must carry over, but total accrual and usage were capped.
Missouri: Earned paid sick leave effective May 2025
Missouri’s Proposition A directed the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to draft rules, with an expected start date of May 1, 2025.
- Covered private employers, excluding public employers.
- Employees accrued 1 hour per 30 hours worked, with no current cap on accrual.
- Leave reasons included personal or family illness, safe leave, business or school closures due to public health emergencies, and quarantine.
- Employers could frontload leave hours.
- Usage could be limited to 56 hours annually (40 hours for smaller employers).
Nebraska: Healthy Families and Workplaces Act began October 2025
Nebraska’s Measure 436 required the Department of Labor to finalize regulations, with paid sick leave accruals starting October 1, 2025.
- Applied to all private employers.
- Employees working 80+ hours annually accrued 1 hour per 30 hours worked.
- Maximum accrual was 56 hours annually (40 hours for businesses with fewer than 20 employees).
- Covered reasons included personal or family illness, business or school closures due to public health emergencies, and quarantine.
- Employers could frontload leave hours.
- No specific carryover cap was mentioned, but usage limits aligned with accruals.
What employers should do now
- Stay informed by monitoring updates on paid sick leave regulations.
- Review and update your current sick leave policies to align with new laws.
- Train supervisors and managers on the new requirements and update your training materials.
