Title
Requesting that the Minnesota Legislature advance a statewide uniform standard for earned sick and safe leave.
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 indicates that 22 percent of full-time employees and 74 percent of part-time employees lack access to earned sick and safe time; and that having a healthy and safe workforce is a human rights issue and a public health issue of interest throughout the state of Minnesota; 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, 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 preventive 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 has been passed in four states, 21 cities and one county in the US; and
Whereas, the Saint Paul City Council adopted such an ordinance on September 7, 2016, requiring that all the city’s employers provide earned sick and safe leave to all employees; and
Whereas, having a healthy and safe workforce is a public health issue of interest throughout the state of Minnesota; and
Whereas, Saint Paul businesses of all sizes and types, employees, organized labor, advocacy organizations and residents, who have been involved in the development of the Saint Paul earned sick and safe leave ordinance agree that a uniform policy of earned sick and safe leave should be adopted at a statewide level to avoid a patchwork of regulatory provisions that challenge businesses who operate in multiple cities in the state of Minnesota;
Now therefore be it resolved, that the Saint Paul City Council pledges its support and assistance to the Minnesota legislature to work with the city of Saint Paul, the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, representatives of business, organized labor, advocacy organizations and residents to develop and advance a statewide uniform standard for earned sick and safe leave that:
(a) ensures that all workers in the state of Minnesota can address their own health needs and the health needs of their family members by requiring employers to provide a minimum level of earned sick leave, including leave for care for family members;
(b) diminishes public and private healthcare costs and promote preventive health services by enabling workers to seek routine medical care for themselves and their family members;
(c) protects the public’s health by reducing the risk and spread of contagion;
(d) assists victims of domestic abuse and their family members by providing them with job-protected paid leave away from work to allow them to receive treatment and take the necessary steps to ensure their protection;
(e) promotes the economic security and stability of workers and their families, as well as businesses serving the state of Minnesota and its residents;
(f) protects residents and all workers in the state of Minnesota from losing their jobs or facing discipline as a result of illness and use of sick leave to care for themselves or their family members; and
(g) safeguards the public welfare, health, safety, and prosperity of the people in Minnesota.