Minneapolis City Council reviews mandatory sick time plan

The Minneapolis City Council is reviewing a proposal that would mandate sick time for people who work in the city.

The Workplace Partnership Group, which studied the issue for four months, presented the paid sick leave proposal to the City Council's Committee of the Whole on Wednesday.

The group, appointed by the mayor and city council, includes business owners, workers and non-profit organizations.

The group said an earned sick time policy would impact more than 120-thousand people who work in Minneapolis. Some Minneapolis businesses have raised concerns about the city mandating sick leave.

If adopted, the proposal would affect all Minneapolis companies with at least four employees and non-Minneapolis employers whose workers put in at least 80 hours a year in the city.

Companies with three employees or fewer would be required to provide unpaid sick time for their workers.

The proposal also recommends that employees accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, with up to 48 hours per year.

Employees can use those hours for themselves or if a family member gets sick.

Point Accupressure owner Molly Glasgow, who served on the Workplace Partnership Group, said there's broad support in the city for earned sick time.

"Minneapolis is at a place where we have to make some changes and we need to be able to carry that responsibility equally among workers, among residents, among business owners and among employers," Glasgow said.