Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to modify the existing laws governing earned sick and safe time benefits for employees in Minnesota. It makes the participation of employers in providing these benefits optional rather than mandatory.

Main Provisions

• Employer Participation: Changes the obligation for employers to provide earned sick and safe time benefits into a choice. Employers can now decide whether or not to offer these benefits to their eligible employees.
• Definitions of Employee and Employer:
  • Employee: Clarifies who qualifies as an employee eligible for potential benefits, specifically those anticipated to work at least 80 hours annually. It excludes certain roles like independent contractors, volunteer or paid on-call firefighters, and certain farm laborers.
  • Employer: Details the definition of an employer, including various entities such as corporations, partnerships, and governmental subdivisions, but explicitly excludes the US federal government.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• The bill changes the mandatory nature of earned sick and safe time benefits for Minnesota employees under certain conditions to a permissive system, allowing employers to decide whether to provide such benefits.
• It updates the criteria defining who counts as an employer or an employee under the law, potentially affecting the scope of who receives these benefits.

Relevant Terms

• Earned Sick and Safe Time
• Employer participation
• Eligible employees
• Independent contractors
• Volunteer firefighters
• Family farm labor
• Staffing agencies