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Nebraska Statewide Rule

Nebraska Paid Sick Leave Initiative 436 and Local Authority

Some RestrictionsApplies statewide across Nebraska (2026)

Key Facts

Initiative
436 (2024), amended by LB415
Effective date
October 1, 2025
Accrual rate
1 hour per 30 worked
Cap
56 hrs (20+); 40 hrs (11-19)
Small business (<=10 employees)
Exempt (LB415)
Last verified: September 5, 2026Source: Nebraska Legislature

Summary

Nebraska voters approved Initiative 436 in 2024, creating statewide paid sick leave effective October 1, 2025. The Healthy Families and Workplaces Act sits in Neb. Rev. Stat. chapter 48 and does not expressly preempt local paid leave ordinances.

48-3810. No effect on more generous paid sick time policies or laws; nonwaiver of rights and remedies. (1) The Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplaces Act provides minimum requirements pertaining to paid sick time, and nothing in the act shall be construed to: (a) Prohibit an employer from the adoption or retention of a paid sick time policy more generous than the one required by the act; (b) Diminish the obligation of an employer to comply with any contract, collective-bargaining agreement, employment benefit plan, or other agreement providing more generous paid sick time to an employee than required by the act; (c) Diminish the rights of public employees regarding paid sick time or use of paid sick time as provided in state or local law; or (d) Preempt, limit, or otherwise affect the applicability of any other law, regulation, requirement, policy, or standard that provides for a greater amount, accrual, or use by employees of paid sick time or that extends other

Source: Nebraska LegislatureView official code

Full Breakdown

Initiative 436 (2024) became the Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, requiring paid sick time to accrue at one hour per 30 hours worked beginning October 1, 2025. LB415 (2025) amended it: businesses with 10 or fewer employees are exempt; those with 11-19 employees allow up to 40 hours per year, and employers with 20 or more allow up to 56 hours. LB415 also exempts owner-operators, independent contractors, seasonal agricultural workers, and anyone under 16, and lets accrual begin after 80 hours of employment. Permitted uses include the employee's illness, family care, and public-health closures. The Nebraska Department of Labor administers the Act.

Violations & Penalties

Employers who deny accrual, retaliate against users of leave, or fail to post notices face Department of Labor enforcement, civil penalties, and may be liable to affected employees for back pay, restoration of leave, and attorney's fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Nebraska have paid sick leave?
Yes, since October 1, 2025, under Initiative 436 as amended by LB415. Employees accrue one hour per 30 worked. Employers with 20 or more allow up to 56 hours and those with 11-19 up to 40 hours; businesses with 10 or fewer are exempt.
Can a Nebraska city require more paid leave?
There is no express preemption in the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, so a city may enact more generous paid leave rules. As of 2026, no Nebraska city has adopted a separate paid leave ordinance beyond the state floor.

Sources

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