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Employers and employees both need a thorough knowledge of the State of Alaska labor laws. These laws outline standards for wages, working hours, leave entitlements, workplace safety protections, and employee rights.
Compliance for businesses operating in Alaska starts with having clear policies that reflect its labor standards, such as accurate payroll management, transparent employee records management and providing pay stubs each pay period.
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Stay compliant with the USA- Alaska labor laws. Check the article to know more.
Standard Working Hours
Alaska employers must abide by state minimum wage laws, which vary from federal ones, as well as some specific overtime pay regulations.
Minimum Wages
Alaska currently enjoys a minimum wage rate of $11.73 per hour, surpassing both federal and state minimum rates. Every January 1st, this minimum wage rate is adjusted in line with inflation to better represent Alaskans’ cost of living.
Overtime Laws
Alaska labor laws also permit voluntary flexible work hour plans, enabling employees to work up to 10 hours without overtime for as long as their total weekly hours do not surpass 40. Alaskan laws permit small mining operation employees, switchboard operators, seamen, and hospital workers providing medical services as exempt categories.
Tipped Minimum Wages
Alaska employers are not permitted to count tips towards the minimum wage; workers must instead receive full payment of this sum directly from their employers, with any extra income from tips being considered supplemental income on top of regular wages.
Meal And Rest Breaks
Alaska labor laws breaks only apply to young workers aged 14-17 who work 5 or more consecutive hours and must receive a 30-minute lunch break.
Alaska follows federal labor guidelines when it comes to adult workers (18 and over). Federal law does not mandate meal or rest breaks for adult employees (18 or older), though any breaks that last 20 minutes or less must be paid; those lasting 30 minutes or longer can be unpaid, provided all duties have been fully relieved during that period of time.
Leave Laws
As per the Alaska labor laws for salaried employees, it offers various forms of protected leave for employees, including jury duty leave, voting leave, military leave, and crime victim leave. Alaska employers do not need to offer paid sick leave or family and medical leave beyond what’s stipulated under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Employees called for jury duty are entitled to time off without losing pay, and employers cannot penalize them for serving. Voting leave workers must also receive paid time off in their schedule does not allow enough time for voting outside working hours.
Alaska also adheres to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), which requires employers to provide unpaid military leave as well as guarantee job reinstatement after service has ended.
Although vacation leave isn’t required by state law in Alaska, many employers offer paid or unpaid vacation benefits as part of their workplace policies to attract and retain employees.
| Leave Type | Paid/Unpaid | Required by State Law |
| Voting | Paid | Yes |
| Jury Duty | Paid or Unpaid | Yes |
| Military | Unpaid | Yes |
| Vacation | Paid or Unpaid | No |
| Crime Victim | Unpaid | Yes |
Anti-discrimination Laws
The state of Alaska labor laws offer comprehensive protections against workplace discrimination. The Alaska Human Rights Act (AHRA), for example, is of state-specific law that prohibits discrimination based on various protected characteristics such as race, religion, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, sex, marital status (or change thereof), pregnancy, or parenthood – it extends protection to employers with one or more employees.
Child Labor Laws
Alaska sets its minimum working age at 14, although children aged under 14 may engage in certain kinds of work.
Workers aged 14-16 must obtain a work permit from the Alaska Department of Labor prior to beginning any job, while 17-year-old employees employed at restaurants with liquor licenses also need permits in order to start working.
As per the Alaska labor laws for minors, Minor employees are entitled to take an unpaid break of 30 minutes every 6 hours worked, after the first 1.5 hours and before their final hour of their shift.
State restrictions also limit working hours and job types available to minors:
| Age Group | Working Hours & Restrictions | Prohibited Occupations | Purpose |
| 14-15 year-olds | When school is in session, their total combined school and work hours cannot exceed nine per day. They can work up to 23 hours each week between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. During vacation periods, they can work up to 40 hours each week. | Assemblers are restricted from working in areas like manufacturing, construction or operating power-driven machinery – among many other fields of activity. | — |
| 16-17 year-olds | They may work no more than six days each week between 5 AM and 9 PM. | There are 19 prohibited occupations for all minors under 18, such as working with explosives, mining, meat processing, excavation, or roofing. | These laws aim to safeguard minors against hazardous working conditions while still giving them valuable employment experience in a safe manner. |
Workplace Safety & Health
Alaska employers are legally required to create and sustain a safe and healthy work environment for all their employees, which includes creating workplace safety policies, providing adequate training programs.
Workplace safety regulations in Alaska are overseen both at the federal and state levels. OSHA sets nationwide safety standards while AKOSH administers and enforces them within Alaska.
These initiatives demonstrate Alaska’s firm dedication to creating safe, healthy, and smoke-free workplace environments for its employees.
Taxes In Alaska
One of the hallmarks of Alaska’s tax system is that there is no individual income tax, enabling residents to keep more of their earnings. However, Alaska does impose a graduated corporate income tax with rates ranging from 0%-9.4% depending on a company’s income level.
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Curious Minds Also Ask
What are the labor laws in Alaska?
Alaska’s labor laws are designed to protect both employers and employees alike by regulating wages, working hours, leave policies and safety standards in the workplace. Alaska enforces its own employment rules alongside federal ones to ensure fair treatment in each workplace and compliance.
What are the new labor laws in Alaska 2025?
Alaska remains committed to strong worker protections in 2025, including annual minimum wage adjustments based on inflation, mandatory overtime pay for 8-hour days or forty hours a week worked, jury duty leave entitlement, voting leave entitlement and military leave entitlement; however, the state still does not mandate paid sick or family leave beyond federal FMLA requirements.
What’s the minimum pay in Alaska?
Alaska currently has an hourly minimum wage of $11.73, which is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 and adjusted every January 1st to reflect inflation and cost-of-living considerations.
How many hours is full-time in Alaska?
Alaska employers usually define a full-time workweek as 40 hours, though their definition may differ as long as it complies with wage and hour regulations.
How is overtime paid in Alaska?
Overtime in Alaska must be compensated at 1.5 times the employee’s hourly rate for any work beyond 8 hours per day or 40 hours in a week, regardless of private employer status. Employers cannot opt to provide compensatory time off instead.
What is full time in Alaska?
Full-time employment in Alaska generally refers to working 40 or more hours each week on an ongoing basis; the exact classification may depend on your employer policy.
Does Alaska have paid sick leave?
Alaska does not mandate paid sick leave at the state level; however, employers may choose to offer either paid or unpaid sick leave as part of their internal company policy.
Are 15 minute breaks required by law in Alaska?
Alaska law does not mandate 15-minute rest breaks for adult employees; only 14-17 year-old minors are entitled to take 30-minute meal breaks every five hours worked.
How many breaks are in a 7 hour shift?
No state laws stipulate a specific number of breaks per 7 hours shift for adult employees; however, if their employer provides short breaks of 20 minutes or less, they must be compensated according to federal labor standards.
Can a 14 year old get a job in Alaska?
Yes, 14-year-olds can work in Alaska with permission from the Department of Labor. Minors aged under 14 may only participate in limited jobs such as newspaper delivery, babysitting or domestic labor.
What age is considered a minor in Alaska?
Alaska considers anyone under 18 a minor for employment purposes, and there are specific restrictions placed on them regarding working hours and job types.
What is the salary-exempt in Alaska?
Alaska salary-exempt employees are those paid a set salary and who meet federal exemption criteria under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), such as executive, administrative or professional employees who do not require overtime pay.
What are the maximum hours a salaried employee can work?
Alaska labor law does not impose a maximum working hours requirement on salaried, exempt employees; however, employers must still abide by federal overtime and wage rules for non-exempt salaried employees.
FAQ's
What is the minimum wage in Alaska for 2025?
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As of January 1, 2025, Alaska’s minimum wage is $11.73 per hour, and it is adjusted annually based on inflation. Alaska does not allow employers to use a tip credit, meaning tipped employees must receive the full minimum wage.
Are employers in Alaska required to provide paid sick leave?
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Currently, Alaska does not have a statewide paid sick leave law. However, certain employers may offer paid sick leave voluntarily, and local or federal policies may apply depending on the employer’s size and type.
How does overtime pay work in Alaska?
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Employees are entitled to 1.5 times their regular pay rate for all hours worked over 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, whichever yields the greater pay. Some exempt positions, such as executive or professional roles, may not qualify for overtime.
Are employers required to provide meal or rest breaks in Alaska?
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For employees under 18, Alaska law requires a 30-minute meal break for shifts longer than 5 consecutive hours. For adults, meal and rest breaks are not mandated by state law, but many employers provide them as part of company policy.
