On August 8, 2019, the Minneapolis City Council joined the state of Minnesota in requiring wage notices. The ordinance—which goes into effect on January 1, 2020, and applies to any employers who have an employee who works at least 80 hours per year in the city—parallels the state wage theft statute in several respects, but also creates several new obligations.

Wage Notices

• The Minneapolis wage notice must include all of the state-required information, but it must also include (1) the employee’s rights under the Minneapolis Sick and Safe Time (SST) Ordinances; (2) the employer’s gratuity policy; and (3) the employer’s overtime policy.
• The Minneapolis wage notice likely must be provided prior to a new employee’s start date, whereas the state wage notice can be provided on the start date.
• The Minneapolis wage notice should be provided to a current employee on or before January 1, 2020, to demonstrate compliance with the notice requirements.
• Any changes to information in the Minneapolis wage notice must be signed by the employee.

Earnings Statements

• The Minneapolis earnings statement must include the information required under Minnesota law, plus the number of hours of SST accrued and unused by the employee.

The Minneapolis Wage Theft Ordinance adds another layer of requirements that many employers will quickly need to address. Employers who are subject to the city ordinance should revisit their existing wage notices and earnings statements and be prepared to bring these documents into compliance with the city’s requirements by the new year.