Little Known Minnesota Employee Leave Laws: Part 1
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Minnesota workplaces are required to provide time off to employees for a variety of ten little known leaves of absence. While most employers are familiar with the federal Family Medical leave Act (FMLA), and military leave law, few realize Minnesota has a variety of state leave laws which cover some very unique and dare I say, unusual circumstances. The potpourri of leave laws include four which cover family, health and children matters. The last six cover a variety of individual employee issues, including two newer military leaves for family members of service members.
To determine which leave laws apply to any particular workplace, it is important to review the definition of employer in each situation. Some of the statutory leaves define an employer as a business employing one person, while other statutes require a workplace to employ at least 20 employees for the leave law to apply. Some of the unique employee leaves only apply to public sector workplaces such as cities and counties, while other leave laws apply to every workplace including private businesses. The important point is to determine which state leave laws apply to your workplace. The first four employee leave laws are:
- Parenting Leave: This law provides up to six (6) weeks of unpaid time off for the birth or adoption of a child. It applies to employers who have 21 or more employees, and is like a mini-FMLA. Employees must work for at least 12 consecutive months and at least half time prior to making the leave request. The employer must continue to make health coverage available during the leave, however there is no requirement the employer pay the costs of the health coverage during the parenting leave.
- Leave for Adoptive Parents: If an employer provides maternity/paternity time off to employees, they must also provide a minimum of four weeks paid or unpaid time off for the adoption of a child. This statute has a broader application than parenting leave above, and is not restricted to employers of 21 or more employees. It applies to all employers. There is also no restriction on the length of time an employee must work to qualify for the leave.
- School Conference and Activities Leave: Employers are required to grant up to 16 hours of unpaid leave time during any 12 month period, to attend school conferences or activities of the employee’s child, which cannot be scheduled during non-work time. It applies to all public and private sector employers in Minnesota who employ at least one employee. Employees are permitted to use vacation or PTO for any time taken under the statute.
- Sick or Injured Child Care Leave: If an Employer provides sick leave benefits for the absence of an employee, the employee is permitted to use sick leave to care for an ill or injured child. It applies to employers who have 21 or more employees, and requires employees to have worked at least 12 consecutive months and at least half time prior to making the sick leave request. Sick leave benefits do not mean short or long term disability.
After checking the definition of employer, it is also a good idea to carefully check the definition of family member and child to determine who has what rights, and who is covered by each particular statutory leave. If you determine a particular leave applies to your workplace, it is a good idea to include mention of it in the Employee Handbook. Don't forget to revisit the statutory leave laws as your workplace grows in size to remain in compliance.
Stay tuned for Part 2 covering organ, bone marrow, and blood donation, as well as two newer military leave laws covering military ceremonies and caring for an injuured service member.
