Minneapolis and St. Paul Sick Leave Ordinances go into effect on July 1st and require a variety of actions, including revision of employee handbooks to provide notice of employee rights. Are you ready for these new requirements?
Determining Coverage
To be covered by either ordinance, the employer must have a physical operation in either Minneapolis or St. Paul. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul have posted maps that allow employers to determine whether their address is within the city and therefore covered by the ordinance. If covered, only those employees who work at least 80 hours within the city are entitled to the mandated sick/safe time described by the ordinances.
Updating Leave Policies
As we have previously reported, both Minneapolis and St. Paul mandate that employees receive at least 1 hour of sick/safe time for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year. Employees can accrue up to 80 hours of sick/safe time in their “bank,” which they must be permitted to carry over from year to year.
While employers who provide sufficient leave via an existing policy (e.g., PTO or sick leave policy) can use that policy to comply with the ordinances, employers must ensure that their existing policies are in compliance with the notice and procedural rules set forth in the ordinances.
Updating Handbooks and Posters
Both the Minneapolis and St. Paul ordinances require that covered employers provide notice to employees of their rights under the respective ordinance in any employee handbook. A sample notice for employers in either city can be obtained here.
Additionally, workplace posters have been published by both cities, and the relevant poster must be included with the employer’s other workplace postings. The Minneapolis poster is available here while the St. Paul poster can be obtained here.
Bottom Line
For employers covered by the new ordinances, time is just about up. You need to update your leave policies, handbooks, and posters now.
Thus,