Employee Handbook

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

State of Alaska

[COMPANY LEGAL NAME]

Effective Date: [MM/DD/YYYY]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Document Header
2. Definitions
3. Employment Policies
4. Alaska Wage and Hour Policies
5. Alaska Paid Sick Leave
6. Other Leave and Protected Time Off
7. Safety, Workers' Compensation, and Testing
8. Personnel Records, Privacy, and Protected Activity
9. Conduct, Attendance, and Corrective Action
10. Separation of Employment
11. Administration and Acknowledgment

1. DOCUMENT HEADER

1.1 Purpose. This Employee Handbook (“Handbook”) sets forth the general employment policies, practices, and benefits of [Company Legal Name], an [Alaska corporation / LLC / other] (“Company”), and the expectations applicable to each employee (“Employee”).

1.2 Not a Contract. Nothing herein creates a binding employment contract or alters the at-will nature of employment. Policy revisions are governed by Section 11.1.

1.3 Governing Law. This Handbook shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Alaska.

2. DEFINITIONS

For ease of reference, capitalized terms are defined alphabetically below:

“Alaska Wage and Hour Act” – Alaska Stat. § 23.10.050 et seq.
“Company Property” – all tangible and intangible property owned, leased, licensed, or otherwise controlled by the Company, including equipment, vehicles, computers, networks, and intellectual property.
“Employee” – any individual employed by the Company, whether full-time, part-time, temporary, or seasonal.
“Protected Class” – a status protected by applicable Alaska or federal law. Alaska Stat. § 18.80.220 addresses race, religion, color, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, sex, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, and parenthood. Applicable federal law also protects additional statuses, including sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, and military status, subject to each law's coverage rules.
“Workweek” – the seven-day period beginning at [DAY/TIME] and ending at [DAY/TIME] for payroll and overtime purposes.

3. EMPLOYMENT POLICIES

3.1 Handbook Status and At-Will Employment

This Handbook communicates policies; it is not an employment contract or a promise of employment for a fixed term. Unless a written agreement, collective bargaining agreement, or applicable law provides otherwise, employment is at will. Only [AUTHORIZED TITLE] may approve a written agreement that changes at-will status.

3.2 Equal Employment Opportunity, Accommodation, and Anti-Retaliation

The Company prohibits unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on any Protected Class. The Company will provide reasonable accommodations required by applicable disability, pregnancy, and religious-accommodation laws after an appropriate interactive process.

Reports may be made orally or in writing to any of the following, and an Employee may bypass a person involved in the concern:

• [SUPERVISOR OR MANAGER]
• [HUMAN RESOURCES CONTACT]
• [ALTERNATE/ETHICS CONTACT]

The Company will respond promptly and impartially, protect confidentiality to the extent reasonably possible, and prohibit retaliation for a good-faith report, request for accommodation, opposition to unlawful conduct, or participation in an investigation.

3.3 Classification and Employer-Coverage Review

The Company will classify each worker based on actual duties and applicable law, not title alone. Human Resources must document whether an Employee is exempt or non-exempt and identify any Alaska or federal exemption relied upon.

Complete before issue:

• Total Employees regularly employed in the business: [____]
• Employees within 75 miles of this worksite: [____]
• FMLA-covered employer: ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Review required
• Alaska public employer subject to AS 39.20.500-.550: ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Review required

4. ALASKA WAGE AND HOUR POLICIES

4.1 Minimum Wage

Covered Employees will receive at least the current Alaska minimum wage. Under Alaska Stat. § 23.10.065, the rate is $14.00 per hour effective July 1, 2026, and is scheduled to become $15.00 per hour on July 1, 2027, subject to any later law. Tips may not be credited toward Alaska's minimum wage.

4.2 Overtime

Subject to statutory exemptions, a non-exempt Employee will receive one and one-half times the regular rate for hours worked over eight in a day and over forty in a workweek, without counting the same hours twice. Alaska Stat. § 23.10.060 exempts, among others, employees of an employer that regularly employs fewer than four employees; Human Resources must verify any exemption before use.

4.3 Salary Exemptions

An executive, administrative, or professional classification requires both the applicable duties test and the Alaska salary threshold. Effective July 1, 2026, the Alaska threshold tied to twice the minimum wage for forty hours is $1,120 per week. Salary alone does not establish exempt status.

4.4 Timekeeping and Off-the-Clock Work

Non-exempt Employees must record all working time, including authorized or unauthorized work performed before or after a shift, remotely, during travel when compensable, or during an interrupted unpaid meal period. Working off the clock is prohibited, but all hours actually worked must still be reported and paid.

4.5 Meal and Rest Periods

Alaska law does not require meal or rest periods for adult Employees. The Company's adult break policy is:

• Paid rest period: [____ minutes / frequency / not offered]
• Unpaid duty-free meal period: [____ minutes after ____ hours / not offered]

If an unpaid meal period is interrupted by work, the Employee must record the time. Employees under eighteen who work five consecutive hours must receive at least a thirty-minute break before continuing work.

4.6 Paydays, Wage Notices, and Deductions

The regular pay period is [____], with payday on [____]. Under Alaska Stat. § 23.05.140, monthly pay may be established by agreement in an annual initial employment contract; otherwise the employer establishes monthly or semimonthly pay periods at the Employee's election. The Company will provide the written hiring information and advance notice of changes required by Alaska Stat. § 23.05.160. Deductions will be made only when required by law or supported by a valid written authorization and permitted by 8 AAC 15.160; deductions may not reduce protected minimum-wage or overtime amounts or shift prohibited business losses to an Employee.

Employees should report a payroll concern promptly to [PAYROLL/HR]. A reporting delay does not waive a wage right.

5. ALASKA PAID SICK LEAVE

5.1 Coverage and Accrual

For Employees covered by Alaska Stat. §§ 23.10.066-.069, paid sick leave accrues at not less than one hour for every thirty hours worked. Select the applicable annual accrual-and-use limit, using the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development's current full-time-equivalent guidance to determine employer size:

• ☐ Employer has fifteen or more full-time-equivalent Employees: 56 hours per year.
• ☐ Employer has fewer than fifteen full-time-equivalent Employees: 40 hours per year.
• ☐ Employee or employment is exempt under Alaska Stat. § 23.10.069; legal review attached.

Unused statutory sick leave carries forward. The Company may limit annual use to the applicable forty- or fifty-six-hour amount. Under current Department guidance, carryover is not required when the Company front-loads the full annual amount. A compliant PTO plan may satisfy the law if it provides at least the same amount, permitted uses, conditions, and protections.

5.2 Permitted Uses

Accrued leave may be used as provided in Alaska Stat. § 23.10.067 for:

• the Employee's illness, injury, health condition, diagnosis, treatment, or preventive care;
• care or assistance for a covered family member or equivalent close relationship; or
• qualifying needs arising from domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including medical or psychological attention, victim services, relocation or home-security steps, and legal services or proceedings.

5.3 Notice, Documentation, and Confidentiality

The Company will give each covered Employee the written entitlement, amount, use, and anti-retaliation notice required by Alaska Stat. § 23.10.068(c) when employment begins. When foreseeable, an Employee must make a good-faith effort to give advance notice and reasonably schedule leave to avoid undue disruption. Documentation may be required only after more than three consecutive workdays of paid sick leave and may not demand the nature or details of a health condition. For violence-related leave, the Employee may select from the forms of documentation permitted by the statute, including the Employee's non-notarized statement. Health and safety information will be treated as confidential.

Paid sick leave may be used in the smaller of hourly increments or the smallest increment the Company's payroll system uses for other absences or leave.

5.4 No Replacement Worker or Retaliation

The Company will not require an Employee to find a replacement worker as a condition of using statutory sick leave, count protected sick leave under an absence-control policy, or interfere with or retaliate against the exercise or attempted exercise of statutory rights.

5.5 Rehire, Successor, and Separation Rules

Accrued leave follows an Employee transferred within the same employer. If an Employee is rehired by the same employer within six months, previously accrued unused leave will be reinstated. Covered successor-employer rules will be applied. Unused statutory sick leave is not paid at separation unless another law, agreement, or Company policy requires payment.

6. OTHER LEAVE AND PROTECTED TIME OFF

6.1 Federal Family and Medical Leave

Eligible Employees of a covered employer may take up to twelve workweeks of job-protected FMLA leave for qualifying family, medical, and military-exigency reasons, and up to twenty-six workweeks in a single twelve-month period for qualifying military-caregiver leave. Private-employer coverage generally requires fifty Employees in twenty workweeks; Employee eligibility generally requires twelve months of employment, 1,250 hours of service in the preceding twelve months, and fifty Employees within seventy-five miles. A separate FMLA policy and required notices must control administration.

The Alaska Family Leave Act in AS 39.20.500-.550 applies to specified public employers, not private employers generally. A covered public employer must attach a separately reviewed Alaska Family Leave policy.

6.2 Jury Service

The Company will not deprive, threaten, coerce, or penalize an Employee for responding to a jury summons, serving as a juror, or attending court as a prospective juror. Alaska Stat. § 09.20.037 does not require wage payment; Company-paid jury leave, if any, is [____].

6.3 Voting

Under Alaska Stat. § 15.15.100, a qualified voter without sufficient time outside working hours may take as much working time as necessary to vote in a state election without loss of pay. Two consecutive voting hours before or after the shift constitute sufficient outside time.

6.4 Crime-Victim Protection

The Company will not penalize or threaten to penalize a crime victim because the victim is subpoenaed or requested by the prosecutor to testify, reports the offense to law enforcement, or participates in the investigation. Pay and benefits directly attributable to the absence are governed by Alaska Stat. § 12.61.017 and Company policy. Qualifying violence-related needs may also be covered by statutory paid sick leave.

6.5 Military Service

The Company will provide leave, nondiscrimination, benefits, and reemployment rights required by USERRA. Employees should give advance notice when practicable and contact [HR CONTACT] for benefit-continuation and return-to-work procedures.

6.6 Other Company Leave

7. SAFETY, WORKERS' COMPENSATION, AND TESTING

7.1 Workplace Safety

The Company will comply with applicable Alaska Occupational Safety and Health requirements. Employees must follow safety rules, use required protective equipment, report hazards and injuries promptly, and may raise safety concerns without retaliation.

7.2 Workers' Compensation

Unless exempt or approved to self-insure, the Company will maintain workers' compensation insurance as required by Alaska Stat. § 23.30.075. A work-related injury or illness must be reported immediately to [CONTACT]. The Company will not retaliate for reporting an injury or pursuing lawful benefits.

7.3 Drug and Alcohol Policy

Working while impaired, unlawfully possessing or distributing controlled substances at work, and unsafe use of any medication are prohibited. The Company will conduct testing only under a separate written program reviewed for compliance with Alaska Stat. §§ 23.10.600-.699. Required testing of current Employees is compensable work time; the Company pays required testing costs and applicable transportation costs, and collection must protect privacy as required by Alaska Stat. § 23.10.630.

8. PERSONNEL RECORDS, PRIVACY, AND PROTECTED ACTIVITY

8.1 Personnel Files

Under Alaska Stat. § 23.10.430, a current or former Employee may inspect and copy personnel-file information maintained about the Employee under reasonable rules during regular business hours. The Company may charge the reasonable duplication cost. Requests should be sent to [HR CONTACT].

8.2 Company Systems and Privacy

Company systems and equipment are provided for business use. To the extent permitted by law, the Company may access, preserve, and review information on Company systems for legitimate business, security, legal, and compliance purposes. This policy does not authorize access prohibited by law and does not restrict protected activity.

8.3 Confidentiality and Lawful Disclosures

Employees must protect legitimate confidential and trade-secret information learned through work. This policy does not prohibit an Employee from reporting suspected unlawful conduct to a government agency or attorney, cooperating in an investigation, discussing wages or working conditions, or engaging in activity protected by whistleblower laws or the National Labor Relations Act.

8.4 Personnel Speech and Meetings

Consistent with Alaska Stat. § 23.10.450, the Company will not take or threaten adverse employment action because an Employee refuses to attend an employer-sponsored meeting, or listen to a communication, whose primary purpose is to communicate the employer's opinion about religious or political matters, subject to the statute's exceptions for legally required, job-related, workplace-relevant, higher-education, executive, and qualifying religious-organization communications.

9. CONDUCT, ATTENDANCE, AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

9.1 Expected Conduct

Employees must perform assigned duties safely and honestly; comply with lawful policies; protect Company, customer, and coworker property; avoid unlawful harassment or violence; accurately record time and business records; and disclose actual conflicts of interest to [HR/COMPLIANCE].

9.2 Attendance and Call-In

Employees who cannot report as scheduled must notify [CONTACT] by [METHOD] at least [____] before the shift when practicable. This rule will be administered consistently with paid sick leave, accommodation, family and medical leave, jury, voting, military, crime-victim, workers' compensation, and other protected-absence laws.

9.3 Corrective Action

The Company may use coaching, verbal warning, written warning, final warning, suspension, or termination. The Company may select or skip steps based on the circumstances. This policy does not alter at-will employment or authorize action for a protected reason.

10. SEPARATION OF EMPLOYMENT

10.1 Notice and Return of Property

Employees are requested, but not legally required unless a separate agreement applies, to provide [____] days' resignation notice. At separation, Employees must return Company property and records. The Company will not withhold earned wages as leverage for return of property or a disputed debt.

10.2 Final Pay

Under Alaska Stat. § 23.05.140, if the Company terminates employment, earned compensation is due within three working days after termination. If the Employee terminates employment, payment is due on the next regular payday that is at least three days after the Company received notice. The Company will pay any promised vacation, severance, or other benefit according to the governing policy or agreement.

10.3 Required Separation Notice

The Company will provide the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development's required Notice to Separated Employees and any other applicable benefits or continuation notices.

11. ADMINISTRATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

11.1 Policy Administration

The Company may prospectively revise policies in writing, subject to applicable law, earned benefits, contracts, and collective bargaining agreements. If a policy conflicts with controlling law, the law controls and the policy will be administered as closely as possible to its lawful purpose.

11.2 No Mandatory Internal Exhaustion

Employees are encouraged to use internal reporting channels, but nothing in this Handbook requires an Employee to waive or delay a right to contact a government agency, file an administrative charge, report a crime, seek emergency assistance, consult counsel, or pursue another protected remedy.

11.3 Separate Agreements

Any arbitration, restrictive-covenant, invention-assignment, confidentiality, commission, bonus, or employment agreement must be separately drafted, supported by applicable consideration, and reviewed for current Alaska and federal law. This Handbook itself does not impose arbitration, a jury waiver, employee indemnity, a damages cap, or an exclusive court forum.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT

I, [EMPLOYEE NAME], acknowledge that I received the [Company Legal Name] Employee Handbook effective [MM/DD/YYYY] and understand that I am expected to follow its lawful policies. I understand that this acknowledgment and the Handbook are not employment contracts and do not alter at-will employment.

Sources and References

• Alaska DOLWD — Employment Practices and Working Conditions, Pamphlet 100 (October 2025)
• Alaska DOLWD — Wage and Hour
• Alaska DOLWD — Paid Sick Leave FAQ
• Alaska Statutes, Title 23 — Labor and Workers' Compensation
• Alaska Statutes, Title 18 — Human Rights
• Alaska Statutes, Title 15 — Elections
• Alaska Statutes, Title 12 — Crime Victim Rights
• Alaska Statutes, Title 9 — Jury Service
• Alaska State Commission for Human Rights — Quick Facts for Employers
• Alaska Occupational Safety and Health
• Alaska Employer Packet
• U.S. EEOC — Equal Employment Opportunity Laws
• U.S. DOL — FMLA Fact Sheet #28
• U.S. DOL — USERRA Rights
• NLRB — Employee Rights

END OF DOCUMENT