Last week’s elections saw several ballot initiatives passed by voters across different states. Here is your quick guide to those that could impact the workplace:
Minimum wage:
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Alaska: State minimum wage increased to $13 per hour in 2025, $14 per hour in 2026, $15 per hour in 2027, and adjusted annually for inflation in subsequent years.
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Missouri: Proposition A increased the state minimum wage to $13.75 per hour in 2025 and $15 per hour by 2026, then adjusts it annually by CPI.
Paid sick leave:
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Alaska: Employers must provide 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked (maximum 56 hours), effective July 1, 2025.
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Missouri: Employers must provide 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked (maximum 56 hours), effective May 1, 2025.
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Nebraska: Employers must provide 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked (maximum 56 hours), effective October 1, 2025.
Union neutrality: Oregon voters approved a measure requiring cannabis businesses to enter into union neutrality agreements in order to receive state licensing.
Union rights for app-based drivers: Massachusetts voters approved a measure that would provide organizing and collective bargaining rights to Uber and Lyft drivers in the state on an industry-wide basis.
Reproductive rights: Seven states passed ballot measures guaranteeing or expanding access to reproductive care including abortion: Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and New York.
Look to the states: The number of workplace state ballot initiatives highlights the trend of labor and employment regulation tilting away from the federal level and towards the states, a practice that is expected to continue in the 119th Congress.
