Minneslate Logo

SF2919 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Earned sick and safe time benefits cost inclusion in the prevailing wage calculation under certain conditions authorization provision

Related bill: HF2650

AI Generated Summary

Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to include the cost of earned sick and safe time benefits in the prevailing wage calculation for certain employers in Minnesota under specified conditions. This adjustment seeks to update how wages are calculated in the context of labor-related guidelines and encourage compliance with existing standards while offering flexibility to employers and employees in managing sick and safe leave.

Main Provisions

  1. Prevailing Wage Calculation: Employers, particularly in the construction industry, may include the cost of earned sick and safe time benefits in their prevailing wage calculations. This provision is available in cases where there is no established waiver agreement with employees.

  2. Employer Flexibility: Employers are encouraged to maintain or exceed existing standards for sick and safe leave policies, while ensuring these policies do not conflict with existing sections governing labor standards. Employers are also allowed to provide paid leave through their policies if these meet or exceed required standards.

  3. Collective Bargaining Agreements: The bill allows labor organizations representing employees to negotiate the terms of sick and safe leave, permitting waivers in some instances when explicitly and unambiguously referenced. These agreements can waive certain statutory requirements.

  4. Greater Benefit Protection: The bill highlights that it does not replace any laws or regulations that provide more generous benefits or protections for employees. Employers can establish internal policies for benefits like advancing or donating sick leave.

  5. Individual Provider Waivers: Certain individual providers offering consumer-directed services to family members can waive provisions for sick and safe time for the service's duration, returning related budget funds and pausing the accrual of such benefits until the next service plan year.

  6. Employee Benefit Donations: Employers can create regulations that allow employees to donate their unused sick or safe time to other employees.

Significant Changes

  • The bill amends Minnesota Statutes to include the cost of earned sick and safe time benefits in prevailing wage determinations, a change aimed at adapting wage calculations to contemporary labor practices.

  • It provides an opportunity for waiving some statutory requirements through collective bargaining and allows additional negotiation space between employers and employees.

Relevant Terms

  • Earned sick and safe time
  • Prevailing wage calculation
  • Collective bargaining agreement
  • Waiver
  • Construction industry
  • Labor standards
  • Employee benefits
  • Employer policy
  • Leave donation
  • Service plan year

Bill text versions

Actions

DateChamberWhereTypeNameCommittee Name
March 23, 2025SenateFloorActionIntroduction and first reading
March 23, 2025SenateFloorActionReferred toLabor

Citations

 
[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Inclusion of earned sick and safe time costs in prevailing wage calculations for construction contractors who do not have a waiver agreement."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "This bill allows the cost of earned sick and safe time benefits to be included in the prevailing wage calculation under certain conditions specified in section 177.42.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "177.42",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 6"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Provision allowing individual providers to waive sick and safe time benefits."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Defines individual providers related to consumer support grants under section 256B.0711.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "256B.0711",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 1"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Provision for waiving sick and safe time benefits for individual providers under consumer-directed community supports."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "References consumer-directed community supports services under section 256B.4911.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "256B.4911",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Provision for waiving sick and safe time benefits for individual providers under community first services and supports."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "References community first services and supports under section 256B.85.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "256B.85",
    "subdivision": ""
  }
]

Sponsors