If you’ve read my recent blog about the new paid sick and safe time (required January 1, 2024), you may be wondering how that affects your business if you are a federal contractor. You are right – you are special! Under the federal contractor requirements established pursuant to Executive Order 13706, you must provide
Paid Leave
Minnesota Cannabis Dispensary Wage and Hour Issues – How to Pay Employees

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know that in just a few short weeks, August 1, 2023, recreational cannabis (marijuana) will be lawful in Minnesota (under state law). However, recent news has also highlighted the fact that it may take up to 18 months for new cannabis dispensaries to obtain a license to…
Bloomington, Minnesota – Earned Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance Takes Effect July 1, 2023

Effective July 1, 2023, all employers will need to provide earned sick and safe leave (ESSL) to ALL employees (including temporary and part-time) who work 80+ hours in Bloomington (no matter where the employer HQ is) pursuant to the new Bloomington City Ordinance. ESSL may generally be used for health needs, school and…
10 Things Non-Minnesota Based Employers Should Know About Minnesota Employment Laws
From time-to-time, I meet (read: they got in trouble or were about to) a new client from out of state that has an issue in Minnesota arise – not because of any willful or intentional wrongdoing, but just because they don’t realize some unique aspects of Minnesota law. So, for those non-Minnesota based Minnesota employers,…
Employers May Need to Provide Paid Time Off for Military Leave Under USERRA
I think I’m in movie mode; last week I was blogging Back to the Future, this week I’m channeling my inner Top Gun. In any event, on to the less exciting legal mumbo jumbo. With remote work and expanding businesses, many more employers have employees throughout the U.S., some of which may be military members…
Minnesota Supreme Court Holds PTO Handbook Terms May Create Unilateral Contract
I have spent plenty of time in the quaint small town of Plainview, Minnesota (where the City snowplow is a tractor and dump truck team), and so it’s fun to write about this one, but I feel for the City (which voted to sell the liquor store in August 2020 while this appeal was pending).…
DOL Clarifies Families First Coronavirus Response Act Paid Leave Requirements
On September 11, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division revised the paid leave provisions (including sick leave and expanded family and medical leave) of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). As a reminder, the paid leave requirements under the FFCRA are (currently) set to expire on December 31, 2020.…
How to Determine Whether Your Business Is A Critical Business and Exempt from the Minnesota Stay-At-Home Order
Wow – how fast things can change in a day! Following up to my post yesterday, as all of Minnesota is well aware now, Governor Walz issued his Stay-At-Home Executive Order 20-20 effective March 27 at 11:59 pm to April 10, 2020. I’ve barely had time to write this post as I’ve been on the…
Minneapolis Issues Guidance on COVID-19 and Sick and Safe Time
Minneapolis has issued a FAQ regarding COVID-19 and the Minneapolis Sick and Safe Time Ordinance. In short, the document outlines how the city of Minneapolis is “interpreting” the ordinance as it relates to earned sick and safe time (ESST). While I believe they are taking some liberties with their interpretation of the ordinance, employers…
Frequently Asked Questions About the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
As time goes on, I will do my best to update you all with questions I am asked frequently about the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Families First Act or FFCRA) which includes the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLA) and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (SPSLA). This post will be updated…