If your only staff are part-time or seasonal, you still need workers compensation in Nebraska. The state requires coverage from the first employee in your regular business, and there is no hours floor, so a part-timer counts exactly like a full-time worker. Keeping people to a few hours a week or hiring only for a busy season does not get you out of the requirement.
Who this is for: Nebraska owners whose team is entirely part-time, seasonal, or a mix, such as shops, cafes, and event or holiday businesses.
The short version
- One part-time or seasonal employee triggers coverage, the same as a full-time hire.
- There is no minimum number of hours below which a worker does not count.
- Minors and paid family in a non-farm business count too.
- Hours only matter for the separate farm carve-out, not for a normal business.
- Your premium is based on payroll, so a small part-time crew usually means a small premium, not none.
Why part-time does not help
Owners often assume that part-time or seasonal workers are somehow exempt. In Nebraska they are not. The requirement turns on whether someone is your employee doing your regular work, not on how many hours they clock.
| Your staffing | Coverage required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| One part-time employee | Yes | Triggers coverage; no hours floor |
| Seasonal-only crew | Yes | Required while they work; you can adjust coverage as staffing changes |
| A few students a few hours a week | Yes | Minors count like any employee |
| Only you, no employees | No | You may opt in if you run the business full-time |
Where hours actually matter
The only place a full-time versus part-time distinction changes the answer is farming, which has its own separate rule. A farm that employs unrelated workers stays outside the requirement until it hits ten or more unrelated full-time employees on each working day for thirteen weeks in a year. For any non-farm business, that hours test does not apply, and one part-time employee is enough to require coverage. If you are unsure whether you have crossed into needing a policy, our national explainer on what changes when you hire your first employee is a good starting point.
What it costs for a small crew
The good news is that workers comp is priced on payroll, so a handful of part-timers usually means a modest premium rather than a big one. A seasonal business can also plan coverage around its busy months, and your final bill is adjusted at the end of the year to match the wages you actually paid. So the practical answer is not to skip coverage to save money, but to size it to a small part-time payroll and adjust it as your staffing rises and falls.
A Hastings example
Illustrative, not a quote. A Hastings gift shop is run by its owner with two part-time clerks during the year and three extra seasonal hires for the holidays. Because Nebraska has no hours floor, the two year-round part-timers already require a policy, and the holiday hires are covered while they work. The owner keeps a policy in place, and the premium reflects the small payroll. When a seasonal clerk twists an ankle on a step stool, comp covers the care instead of the shop paying out of pocket. See our workers comp for retail stores page.
Real questions Nebraska owners ask
Do I need workers comp if all my staff are part-time in Nebraska?
Yes. Nebraska requires coverage from the first employee, and there is no hours floor, so a part-time worker counts the same as a full-time one.
Does a seasonal-only business need coverage?
Yes, while the seasonal workers are employed. You can size and adjust the policy around your busy months, but you cannot skip it just because the work is seasonal.
Is there a minimum number of hours before a worker counts?
No, not for a regular business. Any employee doing your regular work counts, even a student working a few hours a week. Hours only matter for the separate farm rule.
Do minors I employ part-time count?
Yes. Age does not change the answer. A minor doing your regular work counts as an employee and triggers the requirement like anyone else.
Will a small part-time crew cost a lot to insure?
Usually not. Workers comp is priced on payroll, so a small part-time payroll generally means a small premium. The final bill is adjusted at the end of the year to match the wages you actually paid.
When do hours change the answer in Nebraska?
Only in farming. A farm with unrelated workers stays exempt until it reaches ten or more unrelated full-time employees on each working day for thirteen weeks in a year. That test does not apply to other businesses.
What if I only have part-time help and skip coverage?
You are treated the same as any uninsured employer. Willfully going without coverage is a crime, can bring a fine of up to 1,000 dollars per day, and can get the business barred from operating.
Why Nebraska owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Nebraska you buy workers' comp on the open, competitive market from any private insurer licensed in the state, because Nebraska has no state fund, and if no carrier will take you the Travelers-run Nebraska Workers' Compensation Insurance Plan is the guaranteed backstop, so we can shop your rate freely and still have a fallback for hard-to-place work.
- We catch pricing mistakes. Your price depends heavily on the category your work falls into for pricing (the class code). Put people in the wrong category and you overpay for years. We review your payroll and classifications before you buy.
- Proof of coverage, fast. Need a certificate (proof of coverage) for a general contractor or a landlord before Monday? We turn those around the same business day for most carriers.
- We help lower the score that drives your price. Insurers give you a score based on your past claims that raises or lowers your cost (the experience modification rate). We review it each year, flag errors, and connect you with return-to-work and safety resources that bring it down.
- Real people when a claim happens. When someone gets hurt, we stay involved through the life of the claim, not just at renewal.
Related Nebraska guides
Every Nebraska business is set up a little differently. These companion guides answer the same question for other situations, plus the national explainers behind the terms used here.
- Business insurance in Nebraska (start here)
- Workers comp: the owner's overview
- I own an LLC: do I need workers comp?
- I'm a sole proprietor: do I need workers comp?
- I own a corporation (C-corp or S-corp): do I need it?
- We're a partnership: do we need workers comp?
- We're a nonprofit: do we need workers comp?
- My workers are 1099: do I still need it?
- I only employ family: do I need workers comp?
- Remote or out-of-state staff: do I need coverage?
- What happens if I don't carry workers comp?
- How much does workers comp cost?
- How do I get workers comp (even if turned down)?
- What insurance do I need for a contractor license?
- Workers compensation insurance, explained
- What workers comp costs (national guide)
- Hiring your first employee: what changes
- What workers comp does not cover
- Nebraska retail workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Nebraska rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.