Alaska - A Better Balance

Overview of Paid Sick Time Laws in the United States:
Alaska

Updated on November 8, 2024

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	Alaska
Who is covered? Note: City/county paid sick time laws cannot cover state government workers, and city, county, and state paid sick time laws cannot cover federal government workers.	Many workers employed in the private sector in Alaska are covered. Federal, state, and local government employees are exempt. The following workers are also exempt: certain agricultural, fishing, and shrimping industry workers; certain domestic workers; newspaper delivery workers; certain workers employed in the search for placer or hard rock minerals; workers under 18 years of age who are employed part-time (30 or fewer hours a week); certain licensed guide-outfitters; certain taxicab drivers; certain seasonal caretakers/watchmen; certain residential camp workers; certain motor vehicle dealer employees; certain students, learners, and apprentices; and certain railroad employees.
Can sick time be used to care for loved ones?	Yes: spouse; domestic partner or a person cohabiting with the employee in a conjugal relationship that is not a legal marriage; child; parent or legal guardian; sibling; grandparent; aunt or uncle; parent or sibling of the employee’s spouse; a person who stood in loco parentis to the employee when the employee was a minor child; any individual related by blood or whose close association is the equivalent of a family relationship.
How is “child” defined?	A biological, adoptive, or foster child, a stepchild, a legal ward, or a person to whom the employee stands in loco parentis.
Can sick time be used for specific “safe time” purposes (related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking)?	Yes, when the worker or the worker’s family member is the victim.
Can sick time be used under the law to bond with a new child and/or deal with a family member’s death? Note: It is possible that other laws, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act or a state equivalent, could provide eligible workers with unpaid leave for these purposes.	No.
Can sick time be used when a worker’s place of work or child’s school/place of care is closed by public health officials for a public health emergency?	No.
Rate at which workers earn paid sick time?	1 hour for every 30 hours worked.
Do workers have different sick time-related rights based on the size of their employer? If so, based on what employer-size threshold(s)?	Yes. Workers in businesses with 15 or more employees can earn and use up to 56 hours of paid sick time per year. Workers in businesses with fewer than 15 workers can earn and use up to 40 hours of paid sick time per year.
Amount of paid sick time that can be earned under the law per year? (Note: All of these paid sick time laws make it clear that these laws establish a minimum requirement, and employers can provide greater or more generous paid sick time benefits to their workers.)	Workers in businesses with 15 or more employees: up to 56 hours of paid sick time a year. Workers in businesses with fewer than 15 employees: up to 40 hours of paid sick time a year.
When do workers begin to earn paid sick time?	At the commencement of employment or July 1, 2025, whichever is later.
Does unused sick time carry forward to the subsequent year?	Workers are entitled to carry forward unused paid sick time, but employers are not required to allow an employee to use more than 56 hours a year (for businesses with 15 or more workers) or 40 hours a year (for businesses with fewer than 15 workers).
Private Right of Action to go to Court?	No.
Are there waivers/ exemptions for workers covered by a valid Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)?	The law doesn’t apply to workers covered by a CBA to the extent that the CBA explicitly waives the requirements in clear and unambiguous terms. An employer signatory to a multi-employer CBA may fulfill the law’s obligations by making contributions to a multi-employer paid sick leave fund based on the hours of paid sick time each employee accrues under the law while working under the multi-employer CBA, as long as the fund allows workers to collect paid sick time from it based on hours worked under the CBA and for the purposes specified in the law.
What Agency or Official Enforces the Law?	The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
For the statewide paid sick time laws: can cities in the state pass paid sick time laws that are broader than the state law?	Not explicitly addressed in the paid sick time law.
Statutory Citation(s)	AS 23.10.065-23.10.069; AS 23.10.490
Additional Notes	This law was passed by voters on November 5, 2024. Workers will be eligible to begin earning and using paid sick time on July 1, 2025.