In 2024, Alaska voters approved Ballot Measure, 1 providing changes to the state’s minimum wage and paid sick time benefits to employees.
Minimum Requirements:
- Sick leave is accrued at the minimum rate of one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours of work. This ratio is used regardless of whether the hours worked are straight time, overtime, or paid at different rates, or worked in the same pay period. Employees on alternative schedules, rotational schedules, or other non-traditional arrangements still earn one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours of work
- Small employers, fewer than 15 employees, are required to allow employees to accrue and use up to 40 hours of sick leave per year. Employers with 15 or more employees are required to allow employees to accrue and use up to 56 hours of sick leave per year.
- For additional information from the State of Alaska, please see the following FAQ link – Paid Sick Time.
Accrual & Use:
Earned paid sick time shall begin to accrue at the commencement of employment or July 1, 2025, whichever is later. An employee shall be entitled to use earned paid sick time as it is accrued.
- An employee can carry a sick leave balance forward into a new year and must begin to accrue sick leave again. While usage and accrual of sick leave is capped at either 40 or 56 hours per year, an employee’s sick leave balance can exceed this.
- Sick leave, as defined by Ballot Measure 1, is paid leave that is allowed to be used for injury, illness, to care for a family member, or when necessary to receive care or legal help related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
ACTION REQUIRED:
Please provide an accrual worksheet to the HCM Service Team to assist in setting up your Alaska Paid Sick Time plan, along with your communication to employees of the new policy. The accrual worksheet can be found here.
