State of Nevada Family Leave Laws

By: Stephanie Edwards (Capstone Brokerage, Benefits Account Manager) September 3, 2015

Here in the state of Nevada in addition to following the regular federal FMLA laws the state has instituted additional guidelines for local business to adhere to. There are some of the additional areas that Nevada requires a business to grant leave to employees.

School Visitation Leave Law

This is an addendum to FMLA that requires Nevada employers to allow their employees to leave work to attend parent-teacher conferences for their children or dependents. There is not a minimum employee count for this law and the leave is not required to be paid leave.

School Activities Leave Law

In addition to allowing employees to leave for school conference this law requires businesses with over 50 employees to allow leave to attend school functions during school/work hours. This can include school-sponsored events as well as parent involvement in school activities and volunteer opportunities. This leave is granted on a per child basis. The law requires employers to allow eligible employees to take up to 4 hours of leave for each child they have enrolled in school, in increments of at least 1 hour per year.
The time frame an employee is granted leave for such events is to be discussed in length with the employer often in writing. Some businesses may choose to have their employees request the leave at least 5 days prior to the event date. Furthermore documentation may be required to show the employee attended the event.

Witness Leave Law

This law protects ALL employees that are required to attend court. Either as a court ordered witness or to attend or partake in required jury duty. In addition to granting leave to employees that are chosen to serve on a jury, a business must reinstate them to the same position after jury duty has been complete.

Employers must also allow an employee who is a parent, guardian or custodian of a child to appear at a juvenile proceeding, provided the employee provides his or her employer with notice of the need to appear.

Nevada Revised Statute 657.1 Voting Leave

Employees for whom it is impractical to vote before or after work are entitled to 1-3 hours of PAID leaving depending on polling station locations. Leave must be requested in advance and the employer is able to grant time leave time that is most efficient for the business. This really would only apply to rural areas in Nevada that require distance to vote.

Volunteer Search and Rescue or Civil Ambulance Driver and Attendants Leave

An employer must allow employees who are registered civil volunteers to have leave to complete such duties. The employee is responsible for telling the employer that they are registered or if they plan on registering.

Nevada Nursing Time for Mothers

An employee shall allow an employee to pump during business hours. A nursing mother is entitled to a break for pumping each time she has the need to express milk. The employer is also required to provide a place for the mother that is shielded from view, away from co-workers and the public that does not include the restroom. The employer may choose to have the employee “clock-out” during this time and it is not required that the employer pay the employee for these breaks. Businesses with less then 50 employees are not subject to this requirement if it would impose a hardship, including expense.

Employers should be sure to have an employee handbook with outlined guidelines for their leave policy that complies with the federal and state law requirements. There should be a statement referencing school leave and the requirements the company has to request such leave. There should also be a clear explanation of reasons such leave may be taken and how far in advance such leave must be requested. Lastly a business should make it clear that the leave is unpaid (except when used for voting), unless the employer has chosen to compensate employees for any of the leaves mentioned above. More information about Nevada specific leave laws visit