Employee Handbook - Nebraska

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK — NEBRASKA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Purpose and Employment Framework
2. Equal Employment and Reporting
3. Pay, Timekeeping, and Work Schedules
4. Leave and Protected Absences
5. Workplace Standards
6. Corrective Action and Separation
7. Administration and Acknowledgment

1. PURPOSE AND EMPLOYMENT FRAMEWORK

1.1 Company and Effective Date

This Handbook states the current workplace policies of [COMPANY LEGAL NAME] (the “Company”) for employees working in Nebraska. It is effective [__/__/____] and replaces prior handbook versions prospectively.

1.2 Handbook Status

This Handbook is not a contract for employment for a fixed term. It does not guarantee continued employment, a particular disciplinary sequence, or a benefit not vested under a governing plan or agreement. Nothing in it changes rights created by controlling law, a signed employment agreement, or a collective bargaining agreement.

Any desired at-will language must be supplied in a separately reviewed Nebraska-specific paragraph; this template does not create or expand an at-will rule.

1.3 Policy Changes

The Company may revise policies prospectively in writing, subject to applicable law, earned compensation, vested benefits, signed agreements, and collective bargaining agreements. Only [AUTHORIZED TITLE] may approve a Handbook revision.

2. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT AND REPORTING

2.1 Equal Employment Opportunity

The Company prohibits unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. For employers covered by the Nebraska Fair Employment Practice Act, Nebraska law protects race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, national origin, and military or veteran status under Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 48-1102 and 48-1104. The Act generally defines an employer as a person with fifteen or more employees for each working day in twenty or more weeks in the current or preceding calendar year, subject to statutory inclusions and exclusions.

Nebraska's separate Age Discrimination in Employment Act generally covers employers with twenty or more employees and prohibits covered employment discrimination because of age when the reasonable demands of the position do not require the distinction. The Company also complies with all additional federal and local protected-status requirements that apply to its workforce and locations.

2.2 Disability, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodation

Employees and applicants may request accommodation from [HR/ACCOMMODATION CONTACT]. For covered employers, Nebraska reasonable accommodation includes the disability accommodations described in § 48-1102 and pregnancy-related measures such as seating, breaks, periodic rest, assistance with manual labor, job restructuring, light duty, modified schedules, temporary transfer, recovery time after childbirth, and appropriate lactation break time and facilities, unless the employer proves undue hardship.

The Company will not require an employee to take leave for pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition when another reasonable accommodation can be provided. Medical information will be collected, separated, and disclosed only as permitted by law.

2.3 Reporting and Non-Retaliation

Report discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage concerns, leave interference, safety issues, or other suspected violations to any of the following:

• [SUPERVISOR]
• [HR CONTACT]
• [ALTERNATE CONTACT OUTSIDE THE REPORTING CHAIN]

Reports may be oral or written. The Company will review reports promptly, preserve confidentiality to the extent practicable, prohibit retaliation, and take action based on the findings. Internal reporting does not require an employee to waive or delay a protected agency contact, charge, testimony, emergency request, or legal remedy.

3. PAY, TIMEKEEPING, AND WORK SCHEDULES

3.1 Classification and Workweek

Employees are classified as [FULL-TIME / PART-TIME / TEMPORARY] and [EXEMPT / NONEXEMPT] under applicable law. The fixed workweek begins [DAY/TIME] and ends [DAY/TIME]. Classification labels do not override wage-and-hour law.

3.2 Minimum Wage and Overtime

The generally applicable Nebraska minimum wage is $15.00 per hour from January 1 through December 31, 2026 under § 48-1203. Nebraska will publish the rate for the following year by October 15 beginning in 2026. Payroll must review the current rate before each January 1. Tipped, youth, and student-learner rates may be used only after confirming every statutory condition.

Unless an exemption applies, employees covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act receive at least one and one-half times the regular rate for hours over forty in a workweek. Advance approval may be required, but all hours the Company requires or permits must be recorded and paid.

3.3 Timekeeping and Off-the-Clock Work

Nonexempt employees must accurately record all work, including required preparation, closing, meetings, training, and work performed away from the regular site. Off-the-clock work is prohibited. Employees must report an error to [PAYROLL CONTACT]; a good-faith report will not result in retaliation.

3.4 Paydays, Statements, and Deductions

Pay periods are [WEEKLY / BIWEEKLY / SEMIMONTHLY] and regular paydays are [DATES]. Under § 48-1230, employees receive a wage statement showing the employer's identity, covered hours when required, wages earned, and deductions. The Company will provide thirty days' written notice before changing regular paydays.

A deduction, withholding, or diversion will be made only when authorized by state or federal law, a court order, or a written agreement with the employee. Payroll-debit-card use will comply with § 48-1230 and federal compulsory-use restrictions.

3.5 Meal Period for Covered Establishments

If the Company owns or operates an assembling plant, workshop, or mechanical establishment covered by § 48-212, employees receive at least thirty consecutive minutes for lunch in each eight-hour shift and may leave the building or premises during that period. The statutory rule does not apply where a valid collective bargaining agreement or other written employer-employee agreement controls. All other meal and rest periods are [COMPANY POLICY], subject to applicable law and accommodation needs.

3.6 Benefits and Workplace Injuries

Eligibility and coverage are controlled by the governing plan documents, not this summary. Employees must promptly report a work-related injury or illness to [CONTACT]. The Company will administer workers' compensation reporting, medical care, and non-retaliation under controlling law.

4. LEAVE AND PROTECTED ABSENCES

4.1 Nebraska Paid Sick Time

This section applies if the Company is an “employer” under the Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplaces Act. The Act generally covers employers with eleven or more employees and excludes the federal government and Nebraska state and local government, with employee exclusions listed in § 48-3802.

After eighty hours of consecutive employment, a covered employee accrues at least one hour of paid sick time for every thirty hours worked. Unless the Company adopts a higher limit:

• An employee of a small business—generally an employer with eleven through nineteen employees—may earn and use up to forty hours per year.
• An employee of an employer that is not a small business may earn and use up to fifty-six hours per year.

Accrued time carries over, subject to the annual use limits. The Company may instead use a lawful year-end payout and immediate frontload method under § 48-3803(6), or a compliant PTO policy that meets or exceeds the Act. Unused statutory sick time is not required to be paid at separation. If an employee is rehired by the same employer within twelve months, unused time that was not paid out will be reinstated as required by § 48-3803.

Paid sick time may be used for the employee's health needs; care of a broadly defined family member; a child's health-related school or care meeting; specified public-health closures; or qualifying isolation and communicable-disease needs. Employees request leave through [METHOD] and, when possible, state the expected duration. The Company will not require a replacement worker. Documentation may be required only for more than three consecutive workdays and must conform to § 48-3804(6).

The Company will not count protected sick time as an absence supporting discipline. Required notices, posters, multilingual notices where applicable, and paycheck accrual/use/pay information will be provided under §§ 48-3805 and 48-3806.

4.2 Federal Family and Medical Leave

Eligible employees of a covered employer may take unpaid, job-protected FMLA leave for qualifying reasons. The federal FMLA generally provides up to twelve workweeks in a twelve-month period and up to twenty-six workweeks in a single twelve-month period for qualifying military-caregiver leave. Coverage, eligibility, certification, intermittent leave, benefit continuation, and restoration are administered under the separate FMLA policy and current federal law.

4.3 Nebraska Family Military Leave

A qualifying employee who is the spouse or parent of a person called to state or federal military service lasting at least 179 days may request unpaid family military leave under §§ 55-501 to 55-507. Eligibility generally requires at least twelve months of employment and 1,250 hours of service during the preceding twelve months.

An employer with fifteen through fifty employees provides up to fifteen days during the deployment orders; an employer with more than fifty employees provides up to thirty days. For leave of five or more consecutive workdays, the employee provides at least fourteen days' notice and consults on scheduling where able. For shorter leave, advance notice is required as practicable. The Company may request military certification. Restoration, continuation of benefits at the employee's expense, accrued-benefit protection, and any greater plan or bargaining rights are administered under §§ 55-504 and 55-505.

4.4 Jury Duty

An employee summoned for jury duty must give reasonable notice. Under § 25-1674, the Company will not discharge or penalize the employee or cause loss of pay, sick leave, or vacation because of jury service. The employee will be excused from shift work on required service days without loss of pay. The Company may offset pay only by jury compensation other than expense reimbursement.

4.5 Voting Leave

A registered voter who lacks two consecutive nonworking hours while polls are open may request enough paid election-day leave to create a total of two consecutive hours. The request may be made before or on election day, and the Company may designate the hours, as provided by § 32-922.

4.6 Other Protected and Company Leave

The following policies must be completed before use and coordinated with paid sick time, FMLA, accommodation, subpoena or court obligations, collective bargaining agreements, and local law:

• Military service and reemployment: [USERRA / STATE POLICY]
• Witness or crime-victim participation: [NOTICE / DOCUMENTATION / PAY]
• Bereavement: [POLICY]
• Personal leave: [POLICY]
• Domestic-violence, sexual-assault, or stalking safety needs: [CONFIDENTIAL CONTACT / PTO / UNPAID OPTIONS / SAFETY PLAN]

5. WORKPLACE STANDARDS

5.1 Attendance and Conduct

Employees must report as scheduled, follow lawful safety and work rules, accurately maintain records, protect Company and customer property, and avoid dishonesty, threats, violence, unlawful harassment, and material conflicts of interest. Call-in procedures are [METHOD / CONTACT / TIMING], subject to protected leave and accommodation rules.

5.2 Confidential Information and Protected Activity

Employees must protect trade secrets and legitimately confidential business information. This policy does not prohibit protected reports to government agencies, lawful whistleblowing, discussion of wages or working conditions where protected, participation in an investigation, consultation with counsel, or other activity protected by law.

5.3 Technology, Monitoring, and Personal Accounts

Company systems are for authorized use under the separate [INFORMATION SECURITY / ACCEPTABLE USE] policy. Monitoring must be approved and implemented consistently with applicable privacy, labor, and communications law.

The Company will not request personal Internet-account credentials, require an employee or applicant to log in so the Company can observe a personal account, require account contacts or changed privacy settings, or penalize refusal to take those actions, except as a separate statutory exception permits under Nebraska law.

5.4 Separate Agreements

Arbitration, restrictive covenants, invention assignment, confidentiality obligations intended to survive employment, and other binding terms must be placed in separately reviewed agreements. They are not created by this Handbook.

6. CORRECTIVE ACTION AND SEPARATION

6.1 Corrective Action

Depending on the circumstances, the Company may use coaching, verbal warning, written warning, final warning, suspension, reassignment, or discharge. It may select or skip steps. This discretionary framework is not a promise of progressive discipline and does not create a notice-and-cure right.

6.2 Final Pay

For a private employer, unpaid wages are due on the next regular payday or within two weeks after separation, whichever is sooner, under § 48-1230(4)(a). Unpaid commissions follow the customer-payment timing and accounting rule in § 48-1230.01. Public-employer timing must be separately reviewed.

Vacation, bonuses, commissions, expenses, and other compensation are handled under the governing written policy, plan, agreement, and applicable law. The Company will not make an unauthorized deduction or condition earned-wage payment on signing a release.

6.3 Return of Property

Employees must return Company property, records, credentials, and equipment by [METHOD / DEADLINE]. Disputed property will be addressed separately from wage payment.

7. ADMINISTRATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

7.1 Conflicts

If this Handbook conflicts with controlling law, a benefit plan, a signed agreement, or a collective bargaining agreement, the controlling authority governs. Contact [HR/LEGAL] before applying a policy to an unusual coverage, leave, wage, or accommodation question.

7.2 No Risk-Shifting Terms

This Handbook does not impose employee indemnity, a damages cap, attorney-fee shifting, an exclusive forum, arbitration, a jury waiver, a restrictive covenant, a pre-claim notice-and-cure period, or force-majeure relief from wage, leave, safety, or insurance obligations.

EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I acknowledge receipt of the [COMPANY LEGAL NAME] Employee Handbook effective [__/__/____]. I understand that:

1. I am responsible for reading the Handbook and asking [HR CONTACT] about unclear policies.
2. The Handbook is not a contract for employment for a fixed term.
3. The Company may prospectively revise policies in writing, subject to applicable law and binding agreements.
4. The corrective-action framework is discretionary unless controlling law or an authorized agreement requires otherwise.
5. Nothing in the Handbook requires me to waive or delay protected reports, agency contacts, or remedies.

Employee Name: [________________________________]

Employee Signature: [________________________________]

Date: [__/__/____]

Company Representative: [________________________________]

Date: [__/__/____]

OFFICIAL SOURCES AND IMPLEMENTATION REFERENCES

• Nebraska Legislature — § 48-1102
• Nebraska Legislature — § 48-1104
• Nebraska Legislature — § 48-1107.02
• Nebraska Legislature — §§ 48-1002 and 48-1004
• Nebraska Legislature — § 48-1203
• Nebraska Legislature — § 48-1230
• Nebraska Legislature — Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplaces Act
• Nebraska Legislature — Family Military Leave Act
• Nebraska Legislature — § 25-1674
• Nebraska Legislature — § 32-922
• Nebraska Legislature — § 48-212
• Nebraska Legislature — § 48-3503
• U.S. Department of Labor — FLSA overtime
• U.S. Department of Labor — FMLA