Starting October 1, 2025, the Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplace Act (“HFWA”) will require all employers regardless of size to provide eligible employees with paid sick leave for family or personal reasons. HFWA will not cover public employees working for agencies, departments or state or federal governments.
Employees will earn one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty (30) hours worked. The annual maximum will be 40 hours per year for small businesses with fewer than twenty employees and 56 hours per year for businesses with twenty employees or more.
Unused paid sick leave may be carried over to the following year. If the employer chooses to not allow the carryover, the employer may pay out at year end any unused sick leave and give the employee the annual balance maximum available at the beginning of the following year. Employers will not be required to allow more than the annual maximum to be used yearly.
The requirements in the Act are minimums and Employers may provide more generous sick leave or paid time off leave plans. These employer plans must allow use under the same conditions and for the same purposes as the HFWA.
HFWA paid sick leave requests may be made verbally; however, employers may require documentation if an employee uses this leave for more than three consecutive work days. This leave is available for physical or mental illness, health conditions or injury, care, treatment or medical diagnosis and preventative medical care. HFWA is for employees or their family members including an employee’s child, parent or legal guardian, spouse, grandparent, grandchild, sibling or any other individual related by blood to the employee or whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.
Employers should review the new law carefully and update their policies and procedures accordingly. Failure to comply with the expanded law could result in penalties.
Detailed guidance is not yet available but expected in the coming months.