Alaska Paid Sick Leave Law: Employer Rules

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The answer

Yes, every Alaska employer

Since July 1, 2025, employers in Alaska of any size provide paid sick leave: at least 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, usable up to 40 hours a year (fewer than 15 employees) or 56 hours a year (15 or more), under AS 23.10.066. (Alaska DOLWD, Pamphlet 100 (AS 23.10.066))

“Sick leave is accrued at the minimum rate of one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours of work, no matter how those hours are scheduled or paid, including regular time, overtime, or different pay rates.”
Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ · labor.alaska.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026

Sick leave policy template

What it means for Alaska employers

Alaska is one of the few states where the size of the business changes the yearly cap but not whether leave is paid. A two-person shop and a 200-person company both pay for sick time; the small one may stop at 40 hours of accrual and use per year, the larger one at 56. (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ)

Headcount is not a snapshot. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) tells employers to use a full-time-equivalent calculation for the previous calendar year: add every hour worked by part-time, full-time and seasonal staff, then divide by the hours one full-time worker would put in over that year. A seasonal business that peaks at 30 people in summer can still land under 15 FTEs. (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ)

Accrual runs on hours actually worked, including overtime and hours paid at a different rate. Paid vacation, holidays and other time not worked do not generate sick leave. Salary-exempt staff accrue as if they work 40 hours a week, or their shorter normal week. (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ)

The leave is paid at the regular rate, which Alaska calculates with the federal regular-rate rules in 29 CFR Part 778 (adopted by reference) for commission, piece-rate and multiple-rate workers. (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ)

Exceptions and special cases

DOLWD lists who is outside the requirement: minors under 18 working less than 30 hours a week (a minor who passes 30 hours in a week earns leave for every hour of that week), approved student learners, seasonal staff of a nonprofit residential summer camp, work therapy patients in residential treatment programs, employed prisoners, workers under a collective bargaining agreement that waives sick leave in clear and unambiguous terms, and employees exempt from minimum wage and overtime under AS 23.10.055 (for example agriculture, aquaculture and domestic service). Salary-exempt employees under AS 23.10.055(a)(9) are still covered. (Alaska DOLWD, Pamphlet 100 (AS 23.10.066))
An existing PTO plan can satisfy the law if it accrues at least 1 hour per 30 hours worked, can be used for illness, meets the use rules, and employees are told in writing that the PTO plan is being used to meet the sick leave law. (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ)
Front-loading changes the carryover rule: an employer that grants the full yearly amount at the start of the year does not have to roll unused hours into the next year. Accrual employers do carry balances over, so a balance can sit above 40 or 56 hours even though yearly use stays capped. (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ)

Worked examples

A 25-hour-a-week cashier at a 9-FTE store

25 hours a week for 48 weeks is 1,200 hours worked, which earns 40 hours of sick leave (1,200 divided by 30). That is exactly the cap for an employer under 15 FTEs, so the store may stop accrual there for the year. (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ)

A full-time mechanic at a 22-FTE shop

At 40 hours a week the mechanic earns 1 hour of leave every 30 hours, so about 1.33 hours a week. The 56-hour cap for a 15-plus employer is reached after 1,680 hours worked, which is 42 full weeks. (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ)

A doctor's note after two sick days

An employee is out Monday and Tuesday. DOLWD says proof of illness can be requested only after more than three consecutive workdays of paid sick leave, so the employer cannot require a note for this absence. (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ)

How to act on it

Sick leave policy templateWrite the accrual rate, the 40 or 56 hour cap, the advance notice rule for planned absences and the no-retaliation statement DOLWD expects in the written notice at hire.PTO policy templateIf one PTO bank covers sick time, the policy must say so and meet the Alaska accrual and use standards.Alaska employer rulebookMinimum wage, final pay and the other verified Alaska rules in one place.Paid sick leave laws by stateCompare Alaska with every other state before hiring remote staff elsewhere.

Paid sick leave: Alaska and neighboring states

Each state links to its rulebook. Only rules we verified are shown. Alaska has no land border, so the table uses the closest states.

State	Statewide paid sick leave
Alaska	Yes, statewide
Washington	Yes, statewide (full page)
Oregon	Yes, statewide (full page)
California	Yes, statewide (full page)

Questions about Alaska paid sick leave rules

When did Alaska paid sick leave start?

The requirement took effect July 1, 2025, under AS 23.10.066 to 23.10.069.

How does an Alaska employer count whether it has 15 employees?

DOLWD uses a full-time-equivalent calculation for the previous calendar year: total hours worked by all part-time, full-time and seasonal employees divided by the yearly hours of one full-time employee.

Does unused sick leave have to be paid out when someone leaves in Alaska?

No. DOLWD says employers are not required to pay out accrued sick leave at the end of employment. A policy may let employees ask for a cash-out, but the employer cannot force one, and a balance that was not cashed out is reinstated for an employee rehired within 6 months.

Can an Alaska employer ask why an employee was sick?

DOLWD says employers may not ask for details about the illness or medical condition. Proof can be requested only after more than three consecutive workdays of leave, and a short note from a health care provider saying the leave was necessary is enough.

Must the pay stub show sick leave in Alaska?

Yes. Under 8 AAC 15.160(h), statements of earnings show the sick leave used in the accrual year and the remaining balance; with a combined PTO plan, showing the PTO used and the balance satisfies the rule.

The verified rules behind this page (5)

Accrual: Alaska paid sick leave: employees accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ; verified Sep 24, 2026)
Annual cap 15 or more employees: Employers with 15 or more employees must allow employees to accrue and use up to 56 hours of paid sick leave per year (unless the employer sets a higher limit). (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ; verified Sep 24, 2026)
Annual cap under 15 employees: Employers with fewer than 15 employees must allow employees to accrue and use up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year (unless the employer sets a higher limit). (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ; verified Sep 24, 2026)
Effective date: Alaska's paid sick leave requirement took effect July 1, 2025. (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ; verified Sep 24, 2026)
Employer coverage: All employers in Alaska must provide paid sick leave, with no minimum employer size; certain employees are exempted by statute. (Alaska DOLWD, Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave FAQ; verified Sep 24, 2026)

Sources (2)

Checked Sep 24, 2026 · How we verify every rule · Report an error

Alaska paid sick leave rules for employers