Voters in Alaska recently passed a ballot measure (Initiative Measure 436), creating the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act that requires employers to provide paid sick leave. It is scheduled to go into effect on October 1, 2025.
The number of required paid sick leave hours depends on the employee count:
- 20+ employees: 56 hours of paid sick leave per year
- 19 or fewer employees: 40 hours of paid sick leave per year
Some employees are exempt, including those subject to the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act or work fewer than 80 hours per year.
Paid sick leave accrues at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked. An employer must allow eligible employees to carry over unused sick time to the following year or pay out any unused time. The law does allow an employer to cap usage to the max number of hours earned during a calendar year.
The accrued time can be used for:
- Treatment of an employee or family member’s physical or mental illness, condition, or injury
- Seeking a medical diagnosis or care for an employee or their family member
- Absences related to sexual assault, stalking, or domestic violence
Family members include immediate members, domestic partners, foster children, legal wards, individuals related by blood to the employee, or others for whom the employee is a legal guardian or foster/adoptive parent.
This article is informational and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult with an employment lawyer or accountant for additional clarification on how these changes impact your company.
