Legislative package would address pay equity and workplace discrimination
St. Paul, Minnesota — Today the House of Representatives passed the conference committee report on the Women’s Economic Security Act omnibus bill (HF 2536). State Representative Mary Sawatzky (DFL – Willmar) voted in favor of the bill. The bill is one more vote in the Senate away from heading to Governor Dayton for his signature.
Even as Minnesota’s economy continues to improve, barriers like high costs for childcare and the pay gap between men and women doing similar work continue to put a drag on the economy. The Women’s Economic Security Act removes those kinds of barriers, helping to fuel Minnesota’s positive economic momentum and make sure more Minnesotans share in the benefits of the recovery.
“When women have opportunities to succeed, Minnesota succeeds,” said Rep. Sawatzky. “Addressing these issues is good for our families, good for our communities, and good for our state. We need to remove the barriers limiting economic security for women and ensure that everyone has economic opportunity.”
The omnibus package that passed out of the House today includes bills that would:
Allows mothers to stay in the workforce by expanding family leave and providing reasonable accommodations for pregnant and nursing employees
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Expands unpaid leave under the Minnesota Parental Leave Act from 6 to 12 weeks and allows use of leave under the Parental Leave Act for pregnancy-related needs.
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Requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to an employee for health conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth if she so requests, with the advice of her licensed health care provider or certified doula, unless the employer demonstrates that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the employer's business.
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Requires employers to provide reasonable unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her infant child. The break time must, if possible, run concurrently with any break time already provided to the employee. An employer is not required to provide break time if it would unduly disrupt the operations of the employer.
Decreases the gender pay gap through the participation of women in high-wage, high-demand occupations in fields such as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)
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Expands support for employers; workforce organizations; and others to recruit, prepare, place and retain women in nontraditional occupations and apprenticeships, especially low income and older women.
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Supports the development of high economic impact women-owned businesses in nontraditional industries.
Reduces the gender pay gap through increased enforcement of equal pay laws for state contractors and by allowing employees to discuss pay inequities
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Requires private sector businesses with 40 or more employees seeking state contracts over $500,000 to certify no pay gaps exist between employee classes as defined in the EEO-1 Report (formally known as the "Employer Information Report"), a government form requiring many employers to provide a count of their employees by job category and then by ethnicity, race and gender.
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Allows employees to voluntarily discuss their compensation without fear of retaliation from their employers.
Decreases the gender pay gap by reducing the “motherhood penalty”
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Requires equal employment treatment regardless of “familial status” (Pregnant women and parents and legal guardians of children under 18 who live with them).
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Allows grandparents to use existing earned sick leave to care for an ill or injured grandchild.
Addresses negative economic consequences of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault
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Expands unemployment insurance eligibility currently available to victims of domestic violence to include victims of stalking and sexual assault.
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Allows employees to use existing earned sick leave to recover from sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking.
Enhances retirement security by considering a state retirement savings plan for those without an employer-provided option
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Requires a report from Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) on the potential for a state-administered plan for workers without access to workplace retirement savings plans; along with other alternative private sector options.
Rep. Sawatzky encourages constituents to contact her with any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas. Rep. Sawatzky can be reached by phone at 651-296-6206 or by email at rep.mary.sawatzky@house.mn. Constituents can also visit Rep. Sawatzky’s AreaVoices blog, legislative page and sign up for email updates.