MN Court of Appeals hears Mpls sick time case

The future of the new mandatory sick and safe time ordinance in the city of Minneapolis is now in the hands of the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

A three-judge panel heard arguments Tuesday from lawyers representing the city and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, which brought the lawsuit challenging the requirement.

In its appeal of an earlier Hennepin County District Court ruling, the chamber argued the ordinance is an illegal overreach that runs counter to state law.

Cam Winton, the chamber’s director of energy and labor/management policy, said after the hearing that the ordinance is causing headaches for businesses.

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“When companies are spending time complying with this illegal ordinance, they don’t have the time to focus on training and hiring and providing bonuses and investing in the future,” Winton said.

Winton said the statewide business organization will take its case to the Minnesota Supreme Court if necessary.

The Minneapolis ordinance took effect July 1, following Gov. Mark Dayton’s recent veto of legislation aimed at preventing such deviations from statewide labor standards. But the earlier ruling by the district court included a temporary injunction preventing its enforcement for employers based outside of the city.

Minneapolis City Attorney Susan Segal said the city council acted appropriately and she’s hopeful for a favorable ruling from the appeals court.

“The ordinance does nothing more than regulate what is happening in the city of Minneapolis for the health and wellness of employees and those who come in contact with them in the city,” Segal said.