St. Paul’s earned sick & safe time ordinance
By Toby Pearson | January 27, 2023 | All members
Last week, the St. Paul City Council approved a series of updates to the city’s earned sick and safe time ordinance. Those changes were intended to bring language in the rules into alignment with its $15 minimum wage ordinance. Among the changes, the amendments change eight sections of the ordinance to clarify that the paid sick leave rules apply to employers based outside the capital city who send employees into St. Paul.
The amendments also clarify that employees accrue a minimum of one hour of earned sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked within the geographic boundaries of the city, earning a maximum of 48 hours in a 12-month calendar or fiscal year. After working within the city limits for a year, employees may carry over up to 80 hours of earned sick and safe time from year to year.
Beth Commers, a deputy director with the city’s office of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity, informed the council in a staff presentation this month that the amendments were based in part on discussions with labor organizations.
Among their concerns, the city’s appeals process for employees and employers seeking to challenge an earned sick time decision was different than the appeals process for minimum wage disputes. They will now be brought into greater alignment. “A few things (were) missing from the ordinance, like definitions…how an employee might bank hours, or earn them as they go,” said Commers, addressing the council on January 4. “We want to line this up with the minimum wage ordinance…We believe that disadvantages businesses, so now they just really have to follow one road.”
Learn more about St. Paul’s earned sick and safe time ordinance
here.
Toby Pearson | Vice President of Advocacy |
tpearson@careproviders.org | 952-851-2480