This morning the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously and approved a new wage theft ordinance. It has additional requirements for employers and new penalties for violations, which are in addition to the recently approved statewide wage theft law passed this spring by the Minnesota State Legislature.
The new Minneapolis ordinance will take effect January 1, 2020.
Both the state law and the Minneapolis ordinance require employers to pay workers on a regular schedule and provide a detailed earnings statement at the end of each pay period.
The Minneapolis ordinance goes even further, requiring employers to detail the paid time off accrued by each employee under the city’s safe and sick time ordinance. Employers found in violation of the ordinance will have to pay back wages, plus damages. The city can also levy civil fines.
The new ordinance applies to anyone who works at least 80 hours a year in Minneapolis, whether full-time, part-time, or temporary. Babysitters and some government workers are exempted.
For more details, follow this link to a page on the city’s website dedicated to explaining what the new ordinance means for employers and employees. In addition, here is a longer presentation about the wage theft proposal.