Title
Requesting that the Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Commission convene a task force to recommend a proposed ordinance that requires earned sick and safe time for workers in Saint Paul.
Body
WHEREAS, earned sick and safe time refers to accrued hours of paid leave provided by an employer to an employee for purposes of addressing their health and safety needs or those of family members for whom they are responsible; and
WHEREAS, national data indicate that 22 percent of full-time employees and 74 percent of part-time employees lack access to earned sick and safe time; and
WHEREAS, those who don’t have the benefit of earned sick and safe time are disproportionately employed in occupations that require workers to have contact with large numbers of people, including those related to food preparation, hospitality, personal care, construction and cleaning/maintenance; and
WHEREAS, at least 208 outbreaks of foodborne illness in Minnesota between 2004 and 2013 were linked to employees working while sick; and
WHEREAS, annually, the City of Saint Paul receives an estimated 8,487 domestic violence related 911-calls; and
WHEREAS, those who don’t have the benefit of earned sick and safe time are concentrated in low-paid occupations and are disproportionately Hispanic, African American, American Indian, Asian and other workers of color; and
WHEREAS, access to earned sick and safe time has been shown to help workers recover more quickly when sick, visit their health care provider for curative and preventative care, provide critical care for children and other dependent family members and seek assistance related to domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault; and
WHEREAS, legislation requiring varying levels of earned sick and safe time have been passed in four states, 21 cities and one county in the U.S.; and
WHEREAS, having a healthy and safe workforce is a public health issue of interest to the wider Saint Paul community; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul shall extend earned sick and safe time to part time City government employees not currently receiving the benefit by 2017; and
WHEREAS, many employers in Saint Paul already provide earned sick and safe time to their employees, citing benefits to both public health and internal organizational health; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor has also requested that the Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Commission, with the benefit of extensive community and business engagement, shape a recommendation with respect to all workers in the city accruing earned sick and safe time; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Saint Paul City Council support earned sick and safe time for all employees who work in Saint Paul; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council and the Mayor request that the Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Commission convene a task force appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Council that is representative of the city’s businesses of all sizes and types, employees, organized labor, advocacy organizations and residents to engage the broader community in a conversation around the specifics of requiring employers to offer earned sick and safe time benefits to their employees; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Task Force meet and make a determination regarding the following salient issues to be incorporated into the recommendation including:
• scope of the ordinance, such as what employers and workers are covered, the exclusion of sole proprietorships, and the treatment of independent contractors, part-time, seasonal, student, and temporary workers, and those provided by employment agencies;
• clarification on issues such as the status of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements and provisions with respect to payout of unused sick time and the portability of sick and safe time hours;
• conditions of use, such as covered events, eligible family members, and any requirements for advance notice and documentation;
• accrual details, such as when accrual begins, accrual rate, maximum accrual, the effect of employee transfers, rehires, and employer succession, and any effect of employer size;
• and how workers and employers doing business in the city will understand their rights and responsibilities under the ordinance, such as notice, posting, and community outreach; and be it
• recommendation on an enforcement mechanism
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Task Force present their recommendation to Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Commission on or before May 17, 2016, to get their insights and/or revisions and hear public testimony; and be it
FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Commission present their recommended ordinance including the Task Force’s recommendations and their proposed enforcement policy to the Mayor and City Council on or before June 1, 2016 so that an ordinance may be implemented in 2017.