Minneapolis Sick and Safety Leave Expanded to Employers Outside of Minneapolis

In a decision issued April 29, 2019, the Minnesota Court of Appeals reversed, in part, a prior district court ruling which held that the Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance could not be applied to employers located outside of Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance, effective July 1, 2017, requires Minneapolis employers with six or more workers to provide their employees with paid sick leave. After yesterday’s Court of Appeals ruling, the sick leave requirement now also applies to employers located outside of the Minneapolis city limits, so long as its employee works within the city of Minneapolis 80 or more hours in a year. Accordingly, employers with offices outside of Minneapolis may be required to provide paid sick leave to employees who work within the city (such as a construction job site, or customer location). Employers should review their policies and employment practices to ensure compliance with the Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance.

If you have questions or concerns about these new changes, or would like to discuss ways to review and evaluate your current employment practices, please contact Kristy Fahland.

Messerli Kramer’s experienced Employment Law attorneys are available to assist employers in navigating a variety of employment law issues and would be honored to help you.