New City Workplace Proposals Will Impact Many Businesses

Click SCCA’s Meetings & Events page for details on the Oct 8 Forum.

News Flash: Oct. 6 – Mayor Hodges Announces Changes to Draft Proposals – Click Here for Press Release

In April of 2015 the Minneapolis City Council established a workplace policies workgroup to develop policies and engage with the public in three areas that affect low-income workers. As defined by the city, these areas are “earned sick time, scheduling and wage theft”. The workgroup has drafted proposals, known as the Working Families Agenda, which were released to the public in September. To read more about the context for these proposals, visit http://minneapolismn.gov/WorkingFamiliesAgenda/index.htm, where you will also find links to the full draft proposals.

Here are a few highlights of the proposals:

• Earned Sick Time – These proposals would affect employers with one or more employees, except for those who have a waiver due to a collective bargaining agreement, or if they already have a sick time/PTO system that meets the requirements. According to the new rules, employees would earn one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked starting the first day of work. Other sick time proposals have to do with the permitted uses of sick time, trading and covering shifts, accrual and notification of sick time.
• Fair Scheduling – The scheduling proposals would impact all employees, except those covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Employers would need to notify employees of their schedule (including on-call shifts) 28 days in advance, with a 24 hour notice of any changes to initial schedules. If the employer initiates a change in an employee schedule, the employee will received one hour of ‘predictability pay’, and up to 4 hours of ‘predictability pay’ if the employee’s shift is changed, cancelled or shortened with less than a 24 hour notice. There are several more proposals regarding scheduling that deal with mutual consent for scheduling changes, overtime pay, access to full time work and other worker protection measures.

The city is conducting outreach sessions with business owners and workers, and are on a short timeline to approve new policies by the end of 2015. Read this MINNPost article to learn more about some of the feedback by small businesses at recent meetings. SCCA members are invited and encouraged to attend the upcoming forum to make sure your voices are heard on these significant workplace changes.

Working Families Agenda Forum, sponsored by Lake Street Council and Longfellow Business Association

Wednesday, October 8

8:30-9:30 am

at El Nuevo Rodeo (2709 E Lake St)

City Councilmember Andrew Johnson, and possibly other councilmembers, will be speaking at this forum. For more information, contact Allison Sharkey at: asharkey@lakestreetcoucil.org or 612-824-7420. If you are not able to attend, and/or would like to submit written comments to the city, email workingfamilies@minneapolismn.gov.  Comments should be submitted no later than October 16, 2015.