Saint Paul, MN - A Better Balance

Overview of Paid Sick Time Laws in the United States:
Saint Paul, MN

Updated on January 10, 2024

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	Saint Paul, MN
Who is covered? Note: City/county paid sick time laws cannot cover state government workers, and city, county, and state paid sick time laws cannot cover federal government workers.	Workers who perform work for an employer within Saint Paul for at least 80 hours in a year for that employer are covered. Certain airline flight deck or cabin crew employees (who work less than the majority of their hours in Saint Paul and have paid leave equal to or exceeding the amount required by Saint Paul and Minnesota’s statutes) and independent contractors are exempted.
Can sick time be used to care for loved ones?	Yes: children; spouses or registered domestic partners; siblings; parents; grandchildren, grandparents; children of your sibling (e.g., niece/nephew); sibling of your parent (e.g., aunt/uncle). Sick time can also be used to care for: any of the family members listed above of a spouse or registered domestic partner; any other individual related by blood or whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship; and up to one additional individual annually designated by the employee.
How is “child” defined?	An employee’s child, foster child, adult child, legal ward, child for whom the employee is legal guardian, or a child to whom the employee stands or stood in loco parentis. The law also covers children-in-law or any child listed above of an employee’s spouse
Can sick time be used for specific “safe time” purposes (related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking)?	Yes, when the worker or the worker’s family member is the victim.
Can sick time be used under the law to bond with a new child and/or deal with a family member’s death? Note: It is possible that other laws, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act or a state equivalent, could provide eligible workers with unpaid leave for these purposes.	No.
Can sick time be used when a worker’s place of work or child’s school/place of care is closed by public health officials for a public health emergency?	Yes. Workers can use sick time if their place of work or their family member’s school/place of care is closed for weather or due to other public emergency.
Rate at which workers earn paid sick time?	1 hour per 30 hours worked within Saint Paul, MN.
Do workers have different sick time-related rights based on the size of their employer? If so, based on what employer-size threshold(s)?	No.
Amount of paid sick time that can be earned under the law per year? (Note: All of these paid sick time laws make it clear that these laws establish a minimum requirement, and employers can provide greater or more generous paid sick time benefits to their workers.)	Up to 48 hours of paid sick time per year.
When do workers begin to earn paid sick time?	At the commencement of employment. Workers are entitled to use their paid sick time as it is accrued.
Does unused sick time carry forward to the subsequent year?	Workers are entitled to carry forward unused sick time and shall continue to accrue sick time up to a total of 80 hours at any time. Carry forward of unused paid sick time is not required if an employer either: provides the worker with 48 hours of paid sick time for immediate use at the beginning of the subsequent year and the employer pays the worker for their accrued but unused paid sick time at the end of the year; or provides the worker with 80 hours of paid sick time for immediate use at the beginning of the subsequent year if the employer does not pay the worker for their accrued but unused paid sick time at the end of the year.
Private Right of Action to go to Court?	Yes.
Are there waivers/ exemptions for workers covered by a valid Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)?	An employer may opt to satisfy the law for construction employees by paying at least the State prevailing wage or the rate required in an applicable registered apprenticeship agreement (regardless of whether working on private or public projects). Also, the law’s paid sick time requirements won’t apply to workers in the building/construction industry covered by a CBA (with a bona fide building and construction trades labor organization that has established itself as the collective bargaining representative for the affected building and construction industry employees) that expressly waives the requirements in clear and unambiguous terms.
What Agency or Official Enforces the Law?	Saint Paul Department of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity
For the statewide paid sick time laws: can cities in the state pass paid sick time laws that are broader than the state law?	N/A
Statutory Citation(s)	Saint Paul Code § 233.01 et seq.
Additional Notes	Saint Paul’s paid sick time ordinance originally took effect on January 1, 2018. The law was amended on January 12, 2023 and such amendments took effect on February 24, 2023. The law was amended again on October 18, 2023 to align the ordinance with the Minnesota state paid sick time statute. Those amendments took effect on January 1, 2024. The information in this chart reflects the rights of working individuals in Saint Paul as of January 1, 2024. Note that sick time rights prior to December 31, 2023 were different than what is reflected in this chart. For more information about Saint Paul's sick time law, see https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/human-rights-equal-economic-opportunity/labor-standards-enforcement-and-education-1.