About New Mexico Paid Sick Leave (Healthy Workplaces Act)


The Healthy Workplaces Act of 2021 is a law requiring all private employers in New Mexico to allow employees to accrue and use a benefit called earned sick leave. The law took effect on July 1, 2022. The Act lets employees earn and use paid sick leave. Employees may use this leave for various reasons listed in the Act, like the employee’s or their qualifying family member's illness or injury, or to deal with certain legal and family issues. Employers who do not honor an employee’s rights to sick leave face potential civil liability. The Act authorizes the Labor Relations Division (LRD) of the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (DWS) to investigate violations and enforce the Healthy Workplaces Act.

Employers with paid-time-off policies that are more generous than the minimum accrual and usage limits specified in Act are compliant with the Act if employees may use the leave for the same purposes and under the same terms and conditions specified in the Act.

The earned sick leave required by the Act is in addition to any paid time off provided by an employer pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement unless employees may use the paid time off for the same purposes and under the same terms and conditions specified in the Act.

Healthy Workplaces Act Final Rules 

Healthy Workplaces State Statute, NMSA Chapter 50, Article 17 - PDF

 

File Now

File online by clicking the link below

Healthy Workplaces Act Complaint Form - English

Formulario de Denuncia de la Ley de Lugares de Trabajo Saludables - Español


Frequently Asked Paid Sick Leave Questions

FAQs all-in-one - PDF

The Healthy Workplaces Act does not apply to any work done on Tribal Land, including Trust Land, and the Division has no authority to enforce its laws for work performed there. This is true whether the employer is owned or operated by a tribe or tribal member or a non-tribal member. Any business owned or operated by a tribe or tribal member is exempt from the requirements of the Act, even if work is performed off tribal land. 

No. The Division recommends employers make it clear to employees that one bank of PTO that can be used for any reason means that employees will not have paid sick leave available if they exhaust their PTO balance. However, remember that the PTO must be subject to the same usage, accrual, carryover and other requirements of the Act. 

It depends. Travel during the work day from job site to job site is generally compensable work time and PSL will accrue, but normal travel from home to work or work to home is not work time and PSL will not accrue. The “portal-to-portal” exclusion under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not apply in New Mexico, so if employees are required to meet at a central location to be transported to the job site, that travel time would be considered compensable time and PSL would accrue. 

Yes. Part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees must also accrue paid sick leave at a minimum of 1 hour per 30 hours worked. This is calculated on a rolling basis, so a part-time employee who works 20 hours each week will accrue 0.67 hours of paid sick per week. By the end of the third week, that employee will have a paid sick leave balance of 2 hours.

No. Employees only accrue a minimum of 1 hour paid sick leave for every 30 hours actually worked. However, an employee who is required to remain on the employer’s premises or so close thereto that he cannot use the time effectively for his own purposes is working while “on call.” This would be compensable time and therefore PSL would accrue. On the other hand, an employee who is not required to remain at the employer’s premises but is merely required to leave word at his home or with company officials where he may be reached is not working while on call. If the employee is fully able to use the time for his or her own purposes while on call, then PSL would not accrue.   

Employers may frontload less than the full 64 hours only in the case of employees whose employment begins after January 1 of a given year, in which case employers may frontload a prorated portion of the 64 hours to use during the rest of the year.

12345678

Contact Labor Relations Division

Albuquerque Map
Albuquerque
401 Broadway Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: 505-841-4400
Fax: 505-841-4424
Las Cruces Map
Las Cruces
226 South Alameda Blvd
Las Cruces NM 88005
Phone: 575-524-6195
Fax: 575-524-6194

Resources, Guides, and Training

 
Paid Sick Leave Poster
 
Resources
 
Healthy Workplaces Act Complaint Form

This form is for complaints alleging violations of the accrued sick leave requirements under the New Mexico Healthy Workplaces Act

  • Do you want to become an

    Applications Developer?

    Develop, create, and modify general computer applications software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions. Design software or customize software for client use with the aim of optimizing operational efficiency.

  • Do you want to become a

    Plumber?

    Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. May install heating and cooling equipment and mechanical control systems.

  • Do you want to become an

    Ironworker?

    Raise, place, and unite iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks. May erect metal storage tanks and assemble prefabricated metal buildings.

  • Do you want to become an

    Electrician?

    Perform preliminary work with the material and tools of the trade; residential and commercial rough wiring and finish work including the installation of various kinds of wires, cables, and conduits per the National Electrical Code; industrial lighting and service installation; motors controls and installation including emergency generators, relays, and timing devices.

Can't find what you're looking for?

Contact us and we'll do our best to answer your questions.