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Voters approved Initiative 436, creating a new law that allows eligible employees to earn paid sick time for personal and family needs.

Paid sick time means time that is compensated at the same hourly rate, and with the same benefits, as the employee typically earns during hours worked.

The law takes effect Oct. 1, 2025.

Sue Martin, president/secretary-treasurer of the Nebraska State AFL-CIO, called it a “huge win� for Nebraska workers and employers.

She said the law, which sets a minimum, is “a good start for some of these folks that don’t have it.�

“I think the pandemic really shined a light on the need for paid sick leave,� Martin said. “There were a lot of workers that came in sick because they had to, because they couldn’t afford to stay home without pay.�

Sick employees spread their illness to co-workers and customers, and some were fired because they were sick, she said.

While many businesses already offer sick leave in their benefits packages, advocates of the law said not all businesses offer it.

They cited data from the 2021 Nebraska Benefits Report, based on a survey of Nebraska businesses. The report said more than a third of full-time Nebraska employees in 2020 received no paid sick leave.

More than half of full-time workers lacked paid sick leave in the construction, educational services, food services and accommodations, and transportation and warehousing services industries, they said.

Emily Richter, voting Tuesday at First Lutheran Church in Papillion, saidÌý paid sick leave in Nebraska was a big issue for her.

“I’m a mom of two kids and they get sick a lot,� the 28-year-old said. “Not having any sick leave to fall back on when that happens and I have to stay home and take care of them is a big issue.�

Under the Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, created by the vote, employers with fewer than 20 workers will have to offer at least five days of paid sick leave per year, or one hour for every 30 hours worked.

Employers with 20 or more workers will have to offer at least seven days per year.

It doesn't preclude employers from having more generous sick leave policies.

Advocates had argued that working families drive the economy, and that the new law would create healthier families, workplaces and communities.

Opponents argued it would hurt small and medium-size businesses by driving up their costs, and that the law is a one-size-fits-all mandate.

Among its supporters were Nebraska Appleseed, Nebraska State AFL-CIO and AARP Nebraska.

Advocates said sick leave is especially crucial for families that require child care or caregiving for elderly or sick relatives.

Martin said workers are more inclined to work for an employer that provides benefits such as sick leave, she said.

“They will be able to retain those employees who might look for employment elsewhere because of better benefits,� Martin said.

She called it “unfortunate� that a measure like this had to go to a vote instead of state lawmakers adopting it.

Employees taking sick leave are not required to search for or find a replacement worker to cover their time away.

The law contains a provision prohibiting employers from taking “retaliatory personnel action� against an employee or former employee because they requested or used paid sick time.