The Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, also known as Nebraska's paid sick leave law, is in effect as of October 1, 2025. The law applies to businesses with 11 or more employees and ensures workers can accrue paid sick time to care for themselves or their families without fear of retaliation.

Model notices and posters are available from the Nebraska Department of Labor in both English and Spanish.

If you have workers in Nebraska, here’s what you need to know:

Accrual and amount of paid sick time

Under the Act, employees become eligible to accrue sick time once they have worked 80 hours of consecutive employment. From that point, they accrue at least one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked.

The maximum amount of paid sick time per year depends on employer size:

• Small businesses (11–19 employees): Up to 40 hours of paid sick time per year
• Employers with 20 or more employees: Up to 56 hours of paid sick time per year

Employers may allow workers to accrue more than these amounts, but they cannot provide less.

See also: An Employer's State-by-State Guide to Paid Sick Leave in the US

Permitted uses of paid sick time in Nebraska

Employees may use accrued leave for a range of health and family-related needs. This includes:

• Their own illness, injury, health condition, or preventative medical care
• Caring for a family member or someone with a family relationship who is ill or receiving treatment
• Attending school or childcare meetings related to a child’s illness or condition
• Closure of a workplace, school, or childcare facility due to a public health emergency
• Self-isolation or caring for a family member directed to isolate by a health authority or medical professional

Importantly, retaliation is prohibited. Employers cannot discipline or penalize an employee for requesting or using sick time under the Act.

Employer policies and procedures

The law allows employers to establish reasonable sick leave policies regarding notice and documentation:

• Sick time must be provided when requested, with employees giving the expected duration if possible
• Employers may require reasonable documentation for absences longer than three consecutive workdays
• Workers cannot be required to find replacement coverage as a condition of using leave
• Sick time may be used in hourly increments or smaller, depending on how payroll systems track absences

Employee rights under Nebraska’s paid sick leave law

Employees are entitled to:

• The right to use paid leave, protected under the Act
• The right to file a complaint or lawsuit if leave is denied or retaliation occurs
• Protection when participating in an investigation or informing others of their rights

These protections ensure that unused paid sick time provided to an employee under the Act counts toward compliance and cannot be treated as an unexcused absence in lieu of carryover policies or absence control systems.

Staying compliant with changing laws

The Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplaces Act introduces clear paid sick time requirements as of October 1, 2025, and employers should update policies now to remain compliant.

At Deel, we help businesses adapt to laws like Nebraska’s by offering:

• Built-in compliance in onboarding workflows
• A centralized Compliance Hub that updates with new state and local laws
• Access to in-house legal and payroll experts in the US

With Deel PEO, you don’t need to worry about tracking hours of paid sick time per year, policy changes, or evolving state mandates. Learn more about using a PEO (Professional Employer Organization) in Nebraska, or book a demo to speak with an expert.