SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Senate passed a bill authored by Republican State Senator Jordan Rasmusson of Fergus Falls exempting small businesses and family farms from the state’s Earned Sick and Safe Time Program.
Six DFLers, including State Senator Rob Kupec of Moorhead, joined all Republicans in being in favor of the bill which passed in a 38 to 29 vote.
Walz signed a bill into law creating the paid leave program in 2023. It allows workers to take up to 12 weeks a year off with partial pay to care for a newborn child or sick family member and 12 weeks to recover from their own serious illness. Benefits are capped at 20 weeks a year for employees who use both.
The program is funded by a 0.88 percent payroll tax split between employers and employees. The law also added 400 state jobs.
A provision in the measure limits statutory sick leave like documentation restrictions and requirements for substitute coverage to the first 160 hours of sick time used by an employee each year. Beyond that, employers who offer additional sick leave may manage it under their own workplace policies or collective bargaining agreements.
“I have heard from countless small business owners who want to support their employees but are struggling with the burden of this mandate. Senate File 2300 is a bipartisan step toward making the law more workable for all Minnesotans. This bill strikes a balance between protecting workers and recognizing the realities small employers face every day,” Rasmusson said.
“We need to find the right balance in state policy to protect employees and employers, and that’s what this change does. Our family farmers and small business owners are doing the right thing for their employees, but now we’re making sure state policy supports their needs and addresses their concerns,” Kupec said.
The bill has been sent to the House Workforce, Labor and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee.
