What is Sick and Safe Time?

Effective July 1, 2017, the City of Minneapolis Sick and Safe Time Ordinance creates access to time off work for employees across the city. Full and part-time staff, temporary employees and paid interns are included. Sick and safe time is flexible, extending coverage to more employees while preserving many employer controls. 

Employers with 6 or more employees
must provide paid sick and safe time. 

Employers with 5 or fewer employees must provide
​sick and safe time, but they may choose to provide it unpaid.​

In addition, until July 1, 2022, during an employer’s first year of operation (except a new location in an existing chain), it may provide sick and safe time as unpaid. ​​

Fast Facts for Employers
​and Employees

Why was the Sick and Safe Time Ordinance created?

The ordinance is intended to allow employees to care for themselves and family members, making Minneapolis a healthier, more secure, and more productive community. 

When does the Sick and Safe Time Ordinance
​take effect? ​

The Sick and Safe Time Ordinance takes effect July 1, 2017.​

​Who does the Sick and Safe Time Ordinance benefit?

Limiting the spread of contagious illness improves public health and benefits everyone. Employees working in lower wage, higher turnover and public contact jobs concentrated in Minneapolis previously lacked at disproportionate rates access to paid sick leave.
 
Employers with six or more employees must provide paid sick and safe time. Employers with five or fewer employees must provide sick and safe time, but they may choose to provide it unpaid. In addition, until July 1, 2022, during an employer’s first year of operation (except a new location in an existing chain), it may provide sick and safe time as unpaid. 

How much time off work does the Sick and Safe Time Ordinance guarantee an employee?

Sick and safe time accrues at a rate of one hour for every thirty hours worked. An employer may cap an employee's accrual at 48 hours per year. An employer may also limit the total amount of unused sick and safe time in an employee’s “bank” to 80 hours during subsequent years. These limits may be higher if an employer chooses, but not lower. See frequently asked questions for more details.

Can employers give employees more sick leave
​than the amount required by the Sick and Safe Time Ordinance?

Yes. Employers may provide more generous benefits. The Sick and Safe Time Ordinance requirements create a minimum floor, not a ceiling.

Does PTO count as sick and safe time?

Paid time off (PTO) is any combination of sick, vacation, or other types of leave. It reduces the time and burden of administrating these types of leave separately. If employees can use PTO for all of the reasons and under the same conditions outlined by the Sick and Safe Time Ordinance then it counts as sick and safe time. Employers do not need to track the reasons for which an employee uses PTO. Employers are not required to offer additional PTO (or sick leave) once an employee has exhausted it all. Some PTO plans and procedures may need changes to fulfill the baseline requirements set by the Sick and Safe Time Ordinance.

Scenario:
An employer offers 80 hours of PTO per year. Does it need to begin referring to its PTO as “sick and safe time”? No. The law does not require anyone to explicitly refer to any employee programs or leave as “sick and safe time”. The name used by employers does not matter. The amounts and conditions of use for time off work determine whether or not a PTO policy complies with the Sick and Safe Time Ordinance. 

When does an employer need to offer additional
​sick and safe time hours?

If an employer offers PTO or vacation days that may be used for any purpose and under the same conditions outlined in the Sick and Safe Time Ordinance, at a rate at least equal to 1 hour per thirty hours worked, the employer is not required to offer additional leave. However, it may choose to do so. An employer may also add amounts of sick leave and vacation or PTO it offers to cumulatively meet the minimum threshold amounts required under the ordinance.
 
Scenario:
An employer offers each of its employees 80 hours paid per year of time off to use for any purpose. The time off is available throughout the benefit year. Is the employer in compliance with the Sick and Safe Time Ordinance? Yes, the employer complies with the ordinance, provided that any conditions of use are consistent with the ordinance. See the Frequently Asked Questions section entitled “Conditions of Use Questions” for more information.

How can Sick and Safe Time be used?

• Treatment, recuperation, or preventative care for a medical
  or mental health condition, illness, or injury of the employee
  ​or covered family member
  
  
• To seek law enforcement, counseling, or other services for domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking suffered by the employee or covered family member
  
  
• Care for family member during emergency closure of school
  ​or place of care, including for inclement weather

EMPLOYEE RESOURCES

EMPLOYER RESOURCES

Important Dates

Effective date of the ordinance
July 1, 2017

Radio Appearances
Spanish speaking employees, employers, and community are invited to tune in and call-in for technical assistance from Department of Civil Rights enforcement staff.
 
June 27, 2017 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
July 25, 2017 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
La Raza 95.7 FM

Questions? 
Please call 311 or email sicktimeinfo@minneapolismn.gov