Last updated: 2026-08-23.
Statewide MandateHow Nebraska's real statutory thresholds apply to specific employer profiles. Each section re-frames the state law above for one audience — the underlying figures never change, only the lens does.
For employers with fewer than 15 employees: Nebraska requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dol.nebraska.gov/; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For employers with 50 or more employees: Nebraska requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dol.nebraska.gov/; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant, café, and food-service operators: Nebraska requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dol.nebraska.gov/; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including restaurants & food service, use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year (or 80 if no PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores, shops, and chains: Nebraska requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dol.nebraska.gov/; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including retail employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year (or 80 if no PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics, hospitals, and healthcare staffing: Nebraska requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dol.nebraska.gov/; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including healthcare employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year (or 80 if no PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hr teams onboarding new employees: Nebraska requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dol.nebraska.gov/; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant and food-service operators with fewer than 15 employees: Nebraska requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dol.nebraska.gov/; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small restaurants (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year (or 80 if no PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant groups and chains with 50 or more employees: Nebraska requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dol.nebraska.gov/; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large restaurants & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year (or 80 if no PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores and shops with fewer than 15 employees: Nebraska requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dol.nebraska.gov/; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small retail (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year (or 80 if no PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail chains with 50 or more employees: Nebraska requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dol.nebraska.gov/; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large retail & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year (or 80 if no PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics and healthcare practices with fewer than 15 employees: Nebraska requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dol.nebraska.gov/; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small healthcare (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year (or 80 if no PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hospitals and healthcare systems with 50 or more employees: Nebraska requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dol.nebraska.gov/; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large healthcare systems (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year (or 80 if no PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Statewide mandate | Yes |
| Employer threshold | 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt |
| Accrual rate | 1 hour per 30 hours worked |
| Max accrual / year | 40 hours/year (or 80 if no PTO) |
| Paid or unpaid | paid |
| Carryover | Yes |
| Qualified reasons | Own/family illness, preventive care. |
| Effective date | Oct 1, 2025 |
| Official source | https://dol.nebraska.gov/ ↗ |
Nebraska's paid sick leave is entirely new and goes beyond the federal floor. There is no nationwide federal paid sick leave mandate for private employers; the only federal guarantee is the unpaid FMLA (12 weeks, employers 50 or more, 1,250-hour eligibility). Nebraska had no statewide paid sick leave law until the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 48-3801 to 48-3811) took effect Oct 1, 2025. The federal EO 13706 paid sick leave rule applies only to certain federal contractors (1 hour per 30 hours, 56-hour floor) and does not cover ordinary Nebraska private employers. For most Nebraska businesses, HFWA is the first legally required paid sick time they must offer.
Among its Plains and Mountain neighbors, Nebraska is now one of the stricter. Colorado's HFWA (CRS 8-13.3) requires 1 hour per 30 hours up to 48 hours per year for all employers — slightly more generous on the cap. But Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Missouri have no statewide paid sick leave law at all, leaving the benefit to employer discretion. Nebraska's tiered caps (40 hours for 11-19 employees, 56 hours for 20 or more) and 1-in-30 accrual after 80 hours put it ahead of every neighboring state except Colorado, and far ahead of the no-mandate states to its south and east.
| Year | Change |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Healthy Families and Workplaces Act enacted, creating Nebraska's first statewide paid sick time mandate for employers with 11 or more employees. |
| Oct 1, 2025 | HFWA took effect: employers with 11 or more employees must provide paid sick time accruing 1 hour per 30 hours after 80 hours of employment, capped at 40 hours (11-19 employees) or 56 hours (20 or more). |
| 2026 | First full calendar year of HFWA compliance; NDOL poster (English and Spanish) and written-notice requirements apply to all covered employers. |
Employers in Nebraska most often trip on the items below. Amounts are typical statutory ranges — confirm the current figure with the state labor department before acting.
| Violation | Typical penalty / fine | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Failing to provide or pay accrued sick time | The Nebraska Department of Labor can order payment of withheld sick time and assess penalties; employees may file a wage claim. | Covered employers must post the HFWA notice in English and Spanish. |
| Retaliation for using sick time | HFWA prohibits retaliation; NDOL can order reinstatement and back pay. | Interfering with or denying the right to use accrued leave can trigger damages. |
| Miscounting the 80-hour kick-in or tier cap | Under- or over-accrual is treated as a wage violation under HFWA. | The 80-hour consecutive-employment threshold before accrual begins is a frequent payroll error. |
Use the button below to print or save a one-page compliance summary for Nebraska. It includes the state law table and any local ordinances above.
Yes. Nebraska requires paid sick leave for 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt. Accrual is 1 hour per 30 hours worked, capped at 40 hours/year (or 80 if no PTO), with carryover Yes.
Employees accrue 1 hour per 30 hours worked. The max accrual is 40 hours/year (or 80 if no PTO).
No local ordinances are tracked for Nebraska beyond the state law.
A focused set of free calculators and guides across related topics — no account required.