Perspectives

Minnesota Employers Take Heed: Frontline Worker Pay Notice Deadline Quickly Approaching

On April 29, 2022, to thank Minnesotans who kept vital businesses running during the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Tim Walz signed the Frontline Worker Payments law.  The law allows eligible workers in one of 15 different frontline sectors to apply to receive an estimated $750.00 payment.

These sectors include:

• long-term care and home care;
• health care;
• emergency responders;
• public health, social service, and regulatory service;
• courts and corrections;
• childcare;
• schools, including charter schools, state schools and higher education;
• food service, including production, processing, preparation, sale, and delivery;
• retail, including sales, fulfillment, distribution, and delivery;
• temporary shelters and hotels;
• building services, including maintenance, janitorial, and security;
• public transit;
• ground and air transportation services;
• manufacturing; and
• vocational rehabilitation.

Employers in one of the above-delineated frontline sectors must provide all current, potentially eligible workers with notice of the Frontline Worker Pay law by June 23, 2022.  The Minnesota Department of Labor has created a sample employer notice which can be found here.  The notice must be posted at each worksite where workers work and in a conspicuous place that can be easily accessed by all workers, such as a break room or in a location where other work-related notices are posted.  Notices can also be distributed in paper or electronic copies.

The Department of Labor has also created a helpful FAQ document which can be found here.