Payroll and Benefits Guide United States – Alaska

 Annual Leave (vacation)

Alaska does not have any state laws that govern paid time off. However, it is common for employers to decide whether to offer paid or unpaid vacation leave.

This must comply with employment law and must be stipulated in the collective bargaining agreements.

Public Holidays

Public holidays are not mandatory paid days off, but employers commonly allow workers to take federal holidays as paid days off.

Some companies might also agree to allow workers to take off state holidays; workers can find specific state holiday dates from their local government.

Usually when an agreed public holiday falls on a weekend, a day off in lieu is given on the Friday before or the Monday after the holiday.

Sick Days

It is common for an employer to follow the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) which provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for certain family and medical reasons (maternity leave, serious illnesses, or if the employee needs to care for a spouse or child).

Employees are eligible for FMLA if they have worked for their employer for at least one year, completed a minimum of 1,250 hours over the past year, and worked at a location where the company employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles.

FMLA eligible employees are entitled to:

• 12 working weeks of leave in any one year for a child’s birth and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth.
• Leave for the adoption or foster care of a child and care for the newly placed child within one year of placement.
• Care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a severe health condition.
• Leave in the event of a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of their job.
• Any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a covered military member on “covered active duty.”

Or

• 26 working weeks of leave during a single one-year period to care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the service member’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave).

In addition to the FMLA and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Alaska has laws regarding maternity and paternity leave.

Employers with more than 25 employees are required to provide up to 6 weeks of maternity leave for employees who do not have pregnancy-related complications or disabilities.

Employers are also required to provide up to 4 months for employees with disabilities related to pregnancy, childbirth, or other related conditions.

Maternity Leave

Alaska does not mandate paid maternity leave; pregnancy is protected under anti-discrimination law.

Paternity Leave

Paternity leave falls under the FMLA (see Sick Leave).

Parental Leave

Parental leave falls under the FMLA (see Sick Leave).

Other Leave

• Jury Duty: Alaska law requires employers (with 5 or more employees) to provide their full-time employees with job-protected paid time off from work to perform jury duty. Employees must provide a copy of the jury summons to the employer as evidence of requirement.
• Voting Leave: Employees who are registered to vote must be allowed to take necessary time off from work, up to three hours of unpaid leave, to vote in any municipal, county, state, federal primary, or general election. Employees must provide reasonable notice to their employers to take time off to vote before noon on the day before the election. Leave is paid if it occurs during the employee’s regular working hours. Employers must provide unpaid leave for employees who are serving as part-time voting machine technicians.
• In addition to the federal law USERRA, Alaska law provides protection against discrimination for members of U.S. armed forces, reserves, National Guard, commissioned corps of the public health service, and any other category of persons designated by the president in a time of war or emergency.  Upon an employee’s return from leave, reemployment in a former or a similar position regarding seniority, status, pay, and other employment benefits may be made available by the employer.