A you know, last year, Nebraska passed the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, bringing paid sick time to the state effective October 1, 2025. Now, Nebraska has amended the Act in the following ways:
- The Act applies to employers with 11 or more employees, rather than all employers.
- Small businesses are businesses that have between 11-19 employees. Small businesses are required to provide accrual of at least 40 hours of paid sick time in a year. Businesses with 20 or more employees are required to provide accrual of at least 56 hours of paid sick time in a year.
- The following employees are exempt from the Act and therefore are not required to be provided paid sick time:
- An individual owner-operator;
- An independent contractor;
- An individual who works in Nebraska for fewer than 80 hours in a calendar year; and
- An individual who is employed in agricultural employment of a seasonal or other temporary nature.
- Employees begin accruing paid sick time only after 80 hours of consecutive employment.
- Any employer with a paid leave policy, such as a paid time off policy, who makes available an amount of paid leave that equals or exceeds the requirements of the Act and that may be used
as paid sick time in accordance with the Act is not required to provide additional paid sick time under the Act and is not obligated to allow an employee to accrue or carryover benefits beyond the employer’s existing paid leave policy.
The state’s Healthy Families and Workplaces Act FAQ has been updated with the new amendments.
Note that covered employers must provide written notice of the Act to employees by September 15, 2025 or commencement of employment, whichever is later. Additionally, employers must display a poster containing the information required in the notice. If an employer does not maintain a physical workplace or an employee teleworks or performs work through a web-based or app-based platform, the employer must provide notice of such information via electronic communication or a conspicuous posting in the web-based or app-based platform. The Nebraska Department of Labor will provide model notices and posters free of charge on the NDOL’s home page prior to September 15, 2025.