Alaska Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2025)

Both federal and state laws cover family and medical leave in Alaska.

The Alaska Family Leave Act (AFLA) applies specifically to public employers. It complements the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), providing up to 18 weeks of job-protected leave under certain conditions over a 24-month period for public employees. 

The FMLA allows qualifying employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave within a 12-month span for specific qualifying reasons, such as serious health conditions, care for a family member, or birth and care of a new child.

Both types of leave ensure job protection and maintenance of health insurance under the same conditions as if the employee had not taken leave.

Alaska does not mandate private employers to provide sick leave. However, public employees are eligible for paid or unpaid sick leave up to 18 weeks within a 12- or 24-month period under specific conditions.

Private employers must adhere to their policies or employment contracts if they choose to offer sick leave. 

If the ballot initiative gets approved in November 2024, Alaska employers with fewer than 15 employees would be required to give each employee 40 hours of paid sick leave (annualized). Meanwhile, employers with more than 15 employees would be required to provide 56 hours of paid sick leave. 

There is no state requirement in Alaska obliging employers to provide vacation leave. When employers choose to offer this benefit, they must follow their established policies or employment agreements. 

Upon termination of employment, payment for accrued vacation leave depends on the company’s policy or contract terms.

Alaska law doesn’t mandate bereavement leaves for private employers. But they can provide this type of leave and comply with their company policies and practices.

Alaska requires employers to provide time-off so employees can vote, unless there are two hours between poll opening or closing hours and the beginning or end of the employee’s shift.

Employees who are reserve or auxiliary members of the Armed Forces should be granted leave when they must conduct training duty or when called by the governor for active service.

The leave of absence for training duty may not exceed 16 1/2 working days in a 12-month period. Employees on active duty are entitled to five days’ leave of absence.

The basic minimum rate per hour is $11.73, which applies to all workers across Alaska. The minimum wage is adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index for the Anchorage metropolitan area.

The following are not required to receive minimum wage or overtime under the Alaska Wage and Hour Act:

• Student learners
• Administrative, professional, or executive employees as defined by the FLSA 
• Salesmen earning on a commission basis
• Indviduals employed in agriculture, hand picking of shrimp, taking of aquatic life, or hard rock minerals  
• Babysitters or employed in private home domestic services
• Individuals employed by the U.S. local or state government 
• Individuals engaged in charitable, religious, non-profit, educational, and cemetery organizations on a voluntary basis 
• Independent cab drivers 
• Emergency medical, fire department, and ski patrol service volunteers
• Watchmen, caretakers, newspaper delivery men, and motor vehicle dealership employees (sales and services) 
• Computer systems analysts, programmers, software engineers, and other similarly skilled workers

In Alaska, the state’s employment laws guide the legal requirements for terminating an employee or handling an employee’s resignation.

These laws are structured around the at-will employment principle. This means that, unless otherwise specified in an employment contract, the employer or employee can end their employment relationship at any time, for any reason, with or without advance notice.

Alaska operates under the at-will employment framework, but there are exceptions to this rule, such as wrongful termination in violation of federal or state discrimination laws, or if the termination violates the terms of an employment contract.

Alaska is not a right-to-work state. Employees may be required to pay union dues when hired by a company even if they don’t want to be a union member. 

Employers in Alaska must conduct background checks on individuals in certain professions, particularly those involved with vulnerable populations.

However, the state does not have overarching laws limiting criminal history checks for employment purposes in general​​.

Employers in Alaska are allowed to conduct pre-employment criminal background checks and drug testing. These checks provide employers with relevant information on an applicant’s criminal activities and drug use.

If a criminal record has been sealed, applicants can deny its existence. 

Employers can test potential employees for drug use and make hiring decisions based on their results or refusal to submit to testing. But employers must inform applicants in advance if a drug test will be part of the hiring process and bear the associated costs​​.

Employers and service providers in Alaska recognize the need to respect and provide equal treatment of anyone they hire and serve. The state of Alaska recognizes its position to teach by example and the value of a diverse workforce. 

Alaska upholds workers’ rights to form and join labor unions. The state has provisions allowing for collective bargaining, particularly for public sector employees, though detailed specifics would depend on the sector and applicable union agreements.