Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Last week, I was proud to be a part of an effort to advance the Working Parents Act, a package of proposals aimed at providing greater opportunity and economic security to millions of Minnesotans. It would help families in Richfield and Bloomington make a better future for themselves.
Our working parent agenda responds to the real challenges facing Minnesotans in an economy that doesn’t always reward their hard work. Our economy is growing, yet there are families in our community who are still struggling to get ahead. The number of dual-income families and single working parents has grown significantly in Minnesota, but not all workplaces are modernizing their policies, too often putting people in the position of forgoing pay if they need to care for a loved one.
The Working Parents Act has several key proposals:
Earned Sick and Safe Time: Over 1 million working Minnesotans lack access to paid sick time. The Working Parents Act would guarantee access to earned sick and safe time to care for themselves, a sick child, a loved one, or seek services due to domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault.
Paid Family Leave: Only 13% of Minnesotans have access to paid family leave, meaning workers are often forced to choose between their families and their jobs. The Working Parents Act would create an insurance program to provide all Minnesota employees with a percentage of their wages, for up to 6 weeks, so they can afford to take time off to bond with a new child, care for an elder or seriously-ill family member, or deal with pregnancy-related health concerns.
Putting a Stop to Wage Theft: Wage theft occurs when workers are refused pay for hours worked, denied overtime pay, or paid less than minimum wage. The Working Parents Act would crack down on the few bad apples who put honest employers at a disadvantage, by increasing penalties for wage theft, extending the statute of limitations on wage theft, and protecting workers from retaliation.
Scheduling Fairness and Flexibility: Many Minnesota workers lack predictable work schedules which can affect families’ stability and economic security. The Working Parents Act would ensure more scheduling predictability for workers, limit last-minute or on-call shifts, and protect workers from employer retaliation.
Tip Fairness for Servers: Some restaurants in recent years have started deducting the cost of credit and debit card transaction fees from their servers’ tips. The Working Parents Act would prohibit this. Tips are earned by servers for a job well done and we should make sure that they go into the servers’ pockets – not huge national banks.
These measures would make a real difference for families in Richfield and Bloomington and I’m hopeful that we can make progress on these issues this year. I am honored to serve the people of Richfield and Bloomington. Please feel free to contact me at 651-296-7158 or rep.linda.slocum@house.mn.
Cheers,
Linda