Agenda - Council Work Session - 10/24/2023

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LEAGUE L Fi C MINNESOTA CITIES Focus on New Laws: Earned Sick and Safe Time July 24,2023 Anew law requires employers to provide all employees with earned sick and safe time beginning Jan. 1,2024. A new law passed during the 20231egislative session, Chapter 53,that will require employers to provide employees with earned sick and safe leave. All Minnesota cities will want to begin preparing for the new paid leave benefit for their employees beginning Jan. 1, 2024.The new law applies to any employer with one or more employees, so there is no small city exemption, and all Minnesota cities will be covered. In addition,this new law covers all employees, including part-time and temporary employees. Cities that provide earned sick and safe time to employees under a paid time off policy are not required to provide additional earned sick and safe time, as long as the policy meets the same conditions or exceeds the minimum standard of the law. Thus, cities with an existing sick and safe leave policy or ordinance may find it helpful to use the League's model personnel policy_(doc).to make aside-by-side comparison of their existing leave policy with the new earned sick and safe leave language.This can help to more readily discern where enhancements to city policies are required, and where city policies maybe richer than Minnesota law. With 2024 budgeting processes under way in many cities, cities will want to be sure to factor in any additional paid time off accrual for employees. Contact your payroll system vendor to add a pay code for earned sick and safe leave and make necessary adjustments to meet needed wage statement requirements. Earned sick and safe leave requirements Under the new law, an employee earns, at a minimum,up to one hour of time off for every 30 hours worked,up to 48 hours each year.Again,this threshold is a"floor"rather than a"ceiling," so if a city wishes to provide a maximum exceeding 48 hours they may certainly do so.The hourly rate of earned sick and safe time is the same hourly rate an employee earns from employment with the city. A"year"is a regular and consecutive 12-month period as determined by the city, and some examples could include a calendar year, a fiscal year, or 12 months based on an employee's work anniversary. Cities will need to notify employees in writing, at the start of employment or on Jan. 1, 2024,whichever is later, of their earned sick and safe leave rights.The Minnesota Department of Labor's website states a sample employee notice is forthcoming. In the employee notification and personnel policies, cities will want to be sure to define: • How their 12-month period is calculated.