Nevada was one of the first states to require general paid leave that employees can use for any reason. It applies to larger employers and has its own accrual math.
Who's covered (NRS 608.0197)
Private employers with 50 or more employees in Nevada must provide paid leave. Employers in their first two years of operation are exempt, as are certain temporary, seasonal, or on-call arrangements.
Accrual
Employees accrue at least 0.01923 hours of paid leave per hour worked — about 40 hours per year for a full-time employee. Employers may instead front-load the equivalent amount at the start of the benefit year.
Use it for any reason
Employees may use accrued paid leave for any reason and are not required to state a reason — NRS 608.0197(2)(c) says an employee may use paid leave “without providing a reason to his or her employer for such use.” Employers may require reasonable advance notice and set a minimum increment of use.
Carryover, balance & payout
- Accrued leave generally carries over (a cap may apply); front-loading can avoid carryover.
- Show the available balance to employees;
- Payout on separation depends on your policy — NRS 608.0197(1)(i) says an employer “may, but is not required to,” compensate unused paid leave at separation.
- The one exception people miss: that same provision requires previously unused paid leave hours to be reinstated if the employee is rehired within 90 days of a separation that was not a voluntary quit. Paying it out does not reset the clock on that.
Separate from domestic-violence leave
This is distinct from Nevada's domestic-violence leave (up to 160 hours per 12-month period for eligible employees, NRS 608.0198).
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