Employer ResourcesMinimum Wage FAQs
The frequently asked questions document is available in the Download Center on this page. It is used by the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights as a guide. (A selection of frequently asked questions is also provided below. To view an answer, click the "+" symbol.) Business Technical Assistance The City now offers compliance assistance provided by city staff ([email protected]) or through the Neighborhood Development Center. The City's B-TAP program also contracts with local non-profit organizations to provide entrepreneur consulting. Contact B-TAP staff at (612) 673-5010 or [email protected]. Visit business.minneapolis.gov now to navigate all city services for small businesses. Rules The rules, available in the Download Center (to the right), contain the Department's enforcement policy and procedure. Minneapolis Labor Standards Poster The Minimum Wage Ordinance (and Sick and Safe Time Ordinance) required labor poster must be displayed for employees and distributed to new hires in all languages needed by 5% or more of employees. It is available in the Download Center on this page. Labor Standards in the News January 1 raises the wage and the City is letting everyone know. Read all about it here and here. Take appropriate steps now to avoid this! 
uNDERSTANDING Minimum wage What are wages?
Wages include salary, hourly pay, piece rate pay, commissions, and non-discretionary performance bonuses. Tips and employer payments toward medical benefits plans are not wages.
The costs of the following items are not considered wages: 1) uniforms or specially designed clothing required by an employer which is not appropriate for use except in that employment; 2) equipment used in the course of employment, except tools of a trade, a motor vehicle, or other equipment which may be used outside the employment; 3) consumable supplies required in the course of the employment; or 4), or travel expenses in the course of employment, except for those incurred in traveling to or from the employee’s residence. An employer may not deduct these items from an employee’s paycheck if those deductions reduce the employee’s wages below minimum wage. Employers found to have implemented a system of excessive payroll deductions for the purpose of circumventing the minimum wage law may be found to be in violation of the ordinance. What is an hour for purposes of the minimum wage law?
Employees must be paid for all time for which the employee performed work for the employer’s benefit.
Do tips count toward the minimum wage?
Tips and gratuities do not affect the new minimum wage owed to employees. No employer may directly or indirectly credit, apply, or utilize gratuities towards payment of the minimum wage.
Scenario: Tina is a server at a restaurant in Minneapolis. On average, she receives about $8 an hour in tips. Does that count towards the minimum wage her employer must pay her? No, it does not. The employer must pay her at least the minimum wage-not counting tips or gratuities. TRAINING OR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS I am part of a city-approved training or apprenticeship program. does the minimum wage apply to me, too?
Yes it does apply, but there are some special considerations. For city-approved training and apprenticeship programs, employers must pay employees under the age of twenty (20) not less than eighty-five (85) percent of the minimum wage rate, rounded up to the nearest nickel, for the first 90 days of employment. After the first 90 days, the employer must pay no less than the applicable minimum wage rate.
Scenario: Jade, age 18, just started work at a city-approved training program at a large business in Minneapolis. What is the minimum wage the employer must pay Jade? On Jan.1, 2018, the minimum wage for large businesses will be $10 an hour. For Jade’s first 90 days at the training program, the employer must pay her at least $8.50 an hour (or 85 percent of the applicable minimum wage). After 90 days, the employer must pay her at least $10 an hour (the applicable minimum wage rate for large employers in 2018). how does an employer become a city-approved training or apprenticeship program?
Applications are available to download here or in download center above. Any employer may apply to become a city-approved training or apprenticeship program (for purposes of the Minneapolis Minimum Wage Ordinance) by completing an application and emailing it to [email protected]. Applicants will receive confirmation of their submission and directions regarding any next steps within several business days. Applications are evaluated by the Minneapolis Department of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED).
Criteria for approved youth training programs is developed by CPED and approved by the city's Workforce Investment Board with input from current service providers. A complete listing of the criteria here or in the download center above. The criteria should be reviewed by applicants before submitting an application. Note: a listing of all city-approved training or apprenticeship programs is also available for download in the download center above. Rules ARE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS EXEMPT?
No. Employers operating under a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) must pay all employees at least the minimum hourly wage.
ARE EMPLOYERS REQUIRED TO POST NOTICES FOR
EMPLOYEES? Yes. Employers must display a workplace notice poster within each of their facilities in Minneapolis in a visible and accessible location. The poster should be displayed where employees can easily read it. Employers must display the poster in English and in each of the primary language(s) spoken by employees at the particular workplace, if published by the Department.
WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE EMPLOYERS REQUIRED TO KEEP?
Employers are required to keep records showing the wages paid to each employee and the number of hours worked by each employee for at least three years. Employers must allow employees to see these records on request. Employers must also allow the Civil Rights Department to inspect these records on request to monitor compliance with the law.
minimum wage and city limits What if employees based outside of Minneapolis pass through Minneapolis as part of their job?
The minimum wage does not apply to workers who pass through Minneapolis without making any work-related stops.
What if an employee based outside of Minneapolis works within Minneapolis on an occasional basis?
If an employee works two or more hours within the City in a particular week, the employee must be paid at least the minimum wage for the time worked within the City. Employees who work less than two hours in a particular week within the City are not covered by the ordinance.
Does the ordinance apply to an employer who isn’t located in Minneapolis but has an employee performing work in Minneapolis?
Regardless of where an employer is located, it must pay at least the Minneapolis minimum wage rate, for time worked in the City of Minneapolis, to any employee who performs at least two hours of work in a calendar week within the City of Minneapolis. For purposes of this rule, a calendar week runs from Monday to Sunday.
How does an employer know how much time an employee spends working within the City limits?
An employer may make a reasonable estimate of an employee’s time spent working in the City for purposes of determining if any employee has performed at least two hours of work in a calendar week within the City. Documentation of how the reasonable estimate was derived may include, but is not limited to, dispatch logs, delivery addresses and standard estimated travel times, or historical averages. Smart phone apps also exist for the purpose of GPS location and payroll time tracking.
where can i receive more information? Labor Standards Enforcement Division staff in the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights will promptly respond to concerns, provide technical assistance, or answer questions from anyone. Email [email protected] or call (612) 673-3000 (311) or (612) 673-2157 (TTY) for more information. Entire Minimum Wage FAQs
If you would like to read the complete Minimum Wage FAQs, please download the file in the Download Center on this page. |
Download CenterMinneapolis Labor Standards Posters: (Click below to download) Training/Apprentice Programs: 
Until July 1, 2024, the applicable minimum wage depended upon an employer’s size (total number of workers). Since then, the same minimum wage has applied across Minneapolis for all employers regardless of size, and it continues to increase annually on January 1st to account for inflation (capped at 5% pursuant to state law). |
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