Articles Discussing General Issues In Minnesota Labor & Employment Law.

On May 24, 2023, Governor Tim Walz signed into law legislation that further expands protections for nursing and pregnant employees in Minnesota. The amendment, included in Senate File 3035, builds on the changes that became effective in January 2022 to Minnesota’s nursing mothers and pregnancy accommodations law (Minn. Stat. §

Minnesota is now the 12th state to adopt a statewide program providing compensation to employees during family and medical leaves. It also joined the over 40 state and local jurisdictions mandating employer paid sick leave. Eligible Minnesota employees will be entitled to up to 48 hours of paid sick and

On May 19, 2023, Governor Tim Walz signed into law House File No. 782, establishing the Minnesota Secure Choice retirement program. Minnesota has now joined California, Colorado, Oregon, Illinois, and other states in creating a state-run retirement savings program for employees working with small employers without their own retirement plans.

The Minnesota Legislature sent a recreational marijuana bill, House File 100, to Governor Tim Walz’s desk for his signature. Subject to various restrictions, the bill, allows individuals twenty-one years old and older to possess and transport various levels of cannabis products, consume cannabis in private/public areas, and grow it. Governor

On May 17, 2023, the Minnesota state legislature passed an omnibus jobs and economic development and labor funding bill that could have serious implications for employers in the state, including a ban on noncompete clauses, paid sick leave, pregnancy and nursing accommodations, and sweeping worker safety protections. The bill is

Minnesota is set to ban noncompete provisions in employment contracts as part of a new omnibus bill headed to Governor Tim Walz’s desk. The bill will have a significant impact on Minnesota employers by banning true employment noncompete provisions entered into on or after July 1, 2023, but this bill

Omnibus jobs bill expected to be signed into law will entitle covered Minnesota employees to earned sick and safe leave, expand parental leave, ban non-compete agreements and mandatory employer-sponsored meetings, and increase protections for pregnancy and lactation. Many new entitlements will take effect on July 1, 2023.

Minnesota’s Earned Sick and Safe Leave Law will entitle covered employees to earn up to 48 hours of paid leave for a variety of purposes per year. The new law, which takes effect on January 1, 2024, will not preempt local paid sick leave ordinances.

Minnesota is close to enacting a near-total bar on the use of covenants not to compete. The Minnesota Legislature released a Conference Committee Report on the bill (MN SF 3035), which reflects the bill’s likely final form, on May 16, 2023.

Minnesota is expected to become the latest state to legalize recreational cannabis use. The legislative proposal in its current form would necessitate changes to employer drug-testing practices and policies. The bill would also limit adverse employment decisions based on off-duty cannabis use.

Last year the City of Bloomington, Minnesota became the fourth city in Minnesota to pass an ordinance requiring certain employers provide paid sick and safe leave to eligible employees. The City of Bloomington’s Earned Sick and Safe Leave (ESSL) Ordinance is set to go into effect on July 1, 2023.

Minnesota’s 2023 legislative session is off to a hot start and turning out to be an important one for Minnesota employers and companies doing business in Minnesota. Currently, there are four noteworthy bills that employers should keep an eye on as they progress through the Minnesota Legislature.

The Michigan legislature was within its authority to amend two ballot initiatives in 2018, one to significantly raise the minimum wage and the other to greatly expand the availability of paid sick leave to employees, the Michigan Court of Appeals has held. Mothering Justice v. Attorney General, 2023 Mich. App. LEXIS

On February 1, 2023, Minnesota governor Tim Walz signed a law to prohibit discrimination based on hair texture and hair styles, adding Minnesota to the growing list of states to enact such legislation, commonly referred to as the “CROWN Act.”