St. Paul approves earned sick leave mandate
St. Paul became the second city in Minnesota to mandate that most employers offer their workers paid sick leave with a vote by the city council Wednesday.
To heavy applause, the St. Paul City Council voted 7-0 on to approve an “earned sick and safe time” mandate that will extend to most workplaces in the city.
Estimates vary, but advocates believe some 64,000 to 72,000 workers could be affected by the new mandate.
The ordinance, which takes effect July 1, 2017, requires employers to allot their workers an hour of earned sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 80 hours in a two-year period.
That time can be used to care for a sick family member or in the case of domestic assault or stalking. State and federal employers are exempt. Unlike Minneapolis, which passed a similar ordinance in May, the St. Paul rules do not exempt “micro” businesses with fewer than six employees.
Advocates called the St. Paul ordinance the strongest in the country.
“It is a win for Minnesota that means the drumbeat for statewide and, ultimately, nationwide standards grows even stronger,” said the National Partnership for Women and Families, a national advocacy organization, in a written statement.
Organizations such as TakeAction Minnesota, the Main Street Alliance of Minnesota and Isaiah had pressed for citywide sick leave. But many business advocates — including the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce — warned that it would open the door to frivolous lawsuits and create costly and time-consuming record-keeping demands for even the smallest of employers.
The ordinance came together with input from a 29-member city task force staffed by the city’s Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Commission.
“I don’t remember a time when we’ve gotten more public involvement and staff time being used toward crafting something this extensive,” said Council Member Chris Tolbert.
Council Member Dai Thao, another early advocate for earned sick leave, said he was equally satisfied.
“The council, I think we heard both sides,” Thao said. “We heard from business … and we heard from community activists. I’ve come to the conclusion that this is right for us.”
