SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the House Committee on Ways and Means approved legislation authored by Rep. Liz Olson (DFL – Duluth) to require Minnesota employers to provide workers Earned Sick and Safe Time. The legislation would ensure, at a minimum, one hour of paid Earned Sick and Safe Time for every 30 hours worked, up to at least 48 hours per year.
“All Minnesota workers deserve to take care of themselves or a family member when they’re sick, and it’s unacceptable so many of them must forgo pay to do so,” Rep. Olson said. “Even during a pandemic, over a third of workers in our state couldn’t take a single hour of paid time off when they got sick. In an economy tilted in favor of corporations and the very wealthiest, House DFLers are committed to putting workers first. Earned Sick and Safe Time is a critical piece of the puzzle to deliver economic security for all Minnesotans.”
Upwards of 900,000 Minnesota workers, including two-thirds of workers in the lowest wage positions, lack access to paid time off when they or a family member are ill or need to go to a doctor’s appointment. Under the bill, Earned Sick and Safe Time could be used for the following purposes:
- To attend to the worker’s physical and mental health needs, including illness, injury or doctor’s appointment
- To attend to the physical and mental health needs of a family member (including illness, injury or appointment)
- Absence due to domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking of the worker or a family member
- If the worker’s job site is closed because of weather or a public emergency, or if a family member’s school is closed
- If the health authorities have determined that the worker or his/her family needs to stay at home because they could jeopardize the health of others (like a pandemic)
Sixteen states have adopted similar policies guaranteeing paid sick leave for workers, as have numerous cities including Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Duluth.
The legislation’s next stop is the House Floor. Video of the hearing is available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube Channel. Documents and other information about the hearing are available on the committee webpage.