- August 1, 2015
- Minnesota Budget Project
- Staff Report
Hard-working Minnesotans should not lose wages or their jobs when they take time off to care for themselves or a sick family member, or deal with domestic abuse. But currently, 1.1 million Minnesotans, or 41 percent of the state’s workforce, face this situation because their jobs do not offer earned sick leave. These workers live all across the state, and in some counties, including Stearns and St. Louis, about half of all workers lack access to earned sick leave.
Expanding access to earned sick time would allow workers to care for themselves and their families when illness strikes. Families with access to paid sick leave also are able to make medical appointments at regular office hours instead of having to wait for after work hours when they may need to use more expensive emergency services.
Earned sick leave is good for workers and for our state’s economy by giving us a more productive and stable workforce.