Minimum Wage
Currently, the minimum wage in Alaska is $10.34. If the minimum wage is $1.00 less than the federal minimum wage, the state will adjust the amount to be $1.00 more than said amount. Also, the state will adjust the minimum wage annually for urban consumers based on inflation.
Uniquely, Alaska must pay public school bus drivers a minimum of two times the current minimum wage in the state. Also, they must abide by federal minimum wage laws in that the state amount cannot be less than the federal standards.
For tipped workers, employers are not allowed to pay reduced minimum wages. In the state of Alaska, employers are not allowed to take control of an employee’s tips unless two instances occur:
- Employers are delivering cash amounts of tips left for employees via charge card
- Employers are redistributing tips to a pooling arrangement laid out in employment contracts
Visit our Alaska minimum wage information page to learn more about minimum wage in Alaska.
Related topic covered on other pages include:
Overtime
Alaska labor laws require employers with four (4) or more employees to pay employees overtime at a rate of 1½ time their regular rate when they work more than 40 hours in a workweek or eight (8) hours in a workday. Some exceptions apply. Alaska DOL Wage and Hour Summary. An employer must also comply with federal overtime laws. See FLSA. Federal law will apply in cases where it benefits employees more than state law, otherwise state law applies.
Prevailing Wages
Under certain circumstances, employers in Alaska may be required to pay residents wage rates established by the federal or state prevailing wage rates and rules. The prevailing wage rates, including Alaska Laborers’ & Mechanics’ Minimum Rates of Pay, may be different from the state’s standard minimum wage rates. Employees may be eligible for prevailing wages if they work on federal or state government or government-funded construction projects or perform certain federal or state government services. See the Alaska Laborers’ & Mechanics’ Minimum Rates of Pay, Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), and Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act (PCA) for more information about prevailing wages.
Meals and Breaks
Alaska labor laws require employers to provide at least a 30-minute break to employees ages 14-17 if they work five (5) or more consecutive hours. The break must occur after the first hour and a half of work but before the beginning of the last hour of work. Alaska Statute 23.10.350(c).
Alaska employers are not required to provide breaks to employees ages 18 and over. However, if an employer chooses to provide a break, it must pay its employees for the time on break if it is 20 minutes or less. Meal periods provided by employers of over 20 minutes do not need to be paid, so long as employees do not perform any work. Alaska Minimum Wage Laws; see FLSA.
Nursing Mother Breaks
Alaska labor laws do not require employers to provide nursing mothers with breaks to express breast milk. However, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires certain employees to provide nonexempt nursing mothers for one (1) year following a child’s birth with reasonable rest breaks to express milk and private spaces, other than a bathroom, to express breast milk.
Vacation Leave
Alaska employers aren’t required to provide employees with paid or unpaid vacation benefits. If employers offer such benefits, they must follow the terms of employment contracts and company policies.
That said, employers must pay employees for accrued vacation leave upon termination of employment if outlined in a contract.
There is little information about vacation leave established by organizations in Alaska. So, employers are likely free to implement any vacation leave policies or contracts they desire. These policies could include:
- Capped vacation leave accrued by employees
- Use-it-or-lose-it policies regarding accrued vacation
- Forfeiture of accrued vacation leave upon employment termination
Visit our Alaska vacation leave information page to learn more about vacation leave in Alaska.
Sick Leave
Employers in Alaska aren’t required to offer employees sick leave benefits, whether unpaid or paid. Those who choose to offer sick leave benefits must abide by the terms set in employment contracts or established policies.
Employers could also be required to provide employees with unpaid sick leave as per the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Visit our Alaska sick leave information page to learn more about sick leave in Alaska.
Holiday Leave
Private employers in the state aren’t obligated to provide employees with paid or unpaid holiday leave. Alaskan employers could also require employees to work on specific holidays. However, these employees are not entitled to premium pay, such as 1.5x their standard rate.
Employees could be eligible for premium pay if their holiday hours are classified as overtime.
Alaskan employers must follow overtime laws to ensure employees are paid fairly in these instances. Additionally, any employers offering unpaid or paid holiday leave must comply with employment contracts.Visit our Alaska holiday leave information page to learn more about holiday leave in Alaska.
Jury Duty Leave
Employers are not required to offer paid time off for employees serving on a jury or following a summons. They cannot coerce, threaten, or terminate an employee for responding to jury duty and its related services.Visit our Alaska jury duty information page to learn more about jury duty leave in Alaska.
Voting Leave
When voting, employers in Alaska must give their employees paid time off to vote. However, this does not apply if the polls open two hours before or after an employee’s shift. In these instances, employees must vote during these periods without pay.
Visit our Alaska voting leave information page to learn more about voting leave in Alaska.
Severance Pay
Alaska labor laws do not require employers to provide employees with severance pay. Alaska DOL Wage and Hour Summary. If an employer chooses to provide severance benefits, it must comply with the terms of its established policy or employment contract.
Unemployment
In Alaska, certain residents could be eligible to receive unemployment benefits while looking for new employment. There are specific eligibility requirements residents will need to meet when applying, which include:
- Applicants must be unemployed.
- Applicants must have worked within the state within the past 12 months.
- Applicants must have earned a minimum amount of wages based on Alaska guidelines.
- Applicants must actively seek work each week they are receiving benefits.
- The applicant must be a current resident of Alaska.
Visit Alaska’s unemployment information page to learn more about unemployment benefits in Alaska.
Other Topics and Resources
There are several other Alaska labor laws governing the employers and their workplaces. Below are those topics and resources:
- Alaska child labor laws for children 17 years of age and younger including topics including work during school hours and summer hours, school days and non-school days, summer days of employment (usually June 1 to Labor Day), hour restrictions, work permits, and hazardous occupations.
- The Alaska Commission for Human Rights enforces and protects employees workplace civil rights and against discrimination and retaliation. Employees are also protected by federal discrimination laws enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The state and federal discrimination laws offer employees protections and violations based on the following:
| Disability (a mental or physical impairment) | Sex, including sexual harassment | Gender expression | National Origin |
| Race | Sexual orientation | Religion | Ancestry |
| Creed | Gender identity | Age (40+) | Pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions |
| Color | Genetic information | Marital status | Parenthood |
- Alaska labor laws regarding wage payment laws including covering frequency and manner of wage payments, regular paydays, payday, pay periods, deductions, direct deposit and payroll cards, wage statement, record keeping, final paychecks, and notice requirements.
- Alaska labor laws regarding minimum wage and overtime exemptions covering non-exempt employees and exempt employees.
- Alaska labor law regarding hours worked including rest breaks, meal breaks, on-call, waiting, travel, sleeping, and meeting times.
- The Alaska Occupational Safety and Health Section (AKOSH) helps employer comply with laws and regulations regarding workplace safety and health. Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) which covers federal workplace safety and health requirements.
- Active duty employees, including those in the national guard, and veterans may also be eligible for military leave under the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
- The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development manages workers’ compensation in Alaska and worker compensation insurance claims and enforcement. Employees who are injured on the job may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits that minimizes the financial impact on the employee.
- Under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, employers in Alaska are required to provide 60-day advanced notice to any employees that may be impacted by a business closing or mass layoff if 50 or more employees will be impacted.
- If Alaska employers provide employees health insurance benefits, they must comply with the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) that provides health coverage protections to employees under certain circumstances such as voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs, death, divorce, and other life events.
- Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, employers must provide applicants and employees prior notice before conducting background checks involving credit reports. Other rules and limitation may also apply.
