Compliance Stuff

Takeaways: Minnesota’s Earned Sick and Safe Time law (ESST) saw a few significant amendments during the special legislative session. The main changes impact when employers can require documentation and notice for unforeseeable absences taken for a covered ESST reason. The amendments also clarify that employees may voluntarily trade shifts to cover ESST absences and that employers may advance ESST hours to employees. On June 14 th , Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed into law, S.F. No. 17, which once again included amendments to Minnesota’s Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) law that went into effect in January 2024. Requesting Documentation for Employee ESST Absences Under the new amendments, when an employee uses ESST for an absence of  2 or more consecutive scheduled work days , an employer may require reasonable documentation that the absence was taken for a covered reason. Previously, an employer could require reasonable documentation only for an absence of  3 or more consec...

  Under both Minnesota law and St. Paul Ordinance, employees accrue 1 hour of sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked.  Employees can earn a maximum of 48 hours each year unless the employer agrees to a higher amount.  The ordinance became effective January 1, 2024.   Both laws allow  employees to carry over up to 80 hours  of Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) into the following year.    Both law and ordinance do state that upon separation of employment and the employee is rehired within 180 days of separation by the same employer, previously accrued earned sick and safe time must be reinstated.  If an employee is transferred to a separate division, entity, or location, but remains employed by the same employer, the employee is entitled to all earned sick and safe time accrued at the prior division, entity, or location.   For more information on the ESST for both Minnesota and St. Paul, you may visit the sources below. The Compliance...