If your business has fewer than 11 employees, you’re currently not required to provide paid sick time under this Act. That said, it’s important to keep an eye on your employee count and reach out to us if you’re approaching that threshold.
If your business has 11 or more employees, here’s how the Act impacts you:
Sick Time Accrual
Employees begin accruing paid sick time after 80 hours of consecutive employment with your company. From there, they earn at least 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, up to:
- 40 hours/year for businesses with 11–19 employees
- 56 hours/year for businesses with 20+ employees
- Employers can choose to offer more generous accruals.
Reasons for Sick Time Use
Employees can use earned sick time for their own health needs, to care for family members, attend school-related health meetings for a child, or respond to closures and isolation orders during public health emergencies.
Employer Responsibilities
- Sick time must be available upon request
- Time can be used in hourly or, in some circumstances, smaller increments
- Employers can’t require workers to find replacements
- Reasonable documentation may be requested after 3 consecutive sick days
- With each payroll, employers must provide employees with a summary showing:
- the amount of paid sick time available
- the amount of paid sick time used
- the total compensation paid as sick time
It’s also important to note that retaliation is prohibited. Employers may not discipline, penalize, or otherwise take adverse action against employees for using their earned paid sick time.
For your convenience, here are resources provided by the Nebraska Department of Labor:
- Review the Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplace Act FAQs
- Download the Employee Rights Poster to post in your workplace as required by law.
- Questions may be directed to the Nebraska Department of Labor – Labor Standards Division.
At SP Group, PC, we’re already preparing for these upcoming changes. If we provide payroll services for your business, our team will be in touch to ensure your payroll system is ready to handle the new requirements under the Nebraska Healthy Families & Workplaces Act.
We also encourage all employers with Nebraska-based employees to consult their legal counsel or labor law attorney to ensure full compliance with the law.
Payroll is just one part of the comprehensive Business Support Services we offer. For expert guidance and solutions that help your business grow, contact us.