What is the Minneapolis Wage Theft Prevention Ordinance?
The City has adopted part of the state's new Wage Theft law into local ordinance, providing another avenue to employees for recovery of unpaid wages. The ordinance took effect on January 1st, 2020.

The City’s wage theft prevention ordinance additionally requires employers in Minneapolis to provide sick and safe time accrual and use balances on all earnings statements, and distribute a Minneapolis labor poster to all new hires.
The Minnesota Wage Theft Law and the Minneapolis Wage Theft Ordinance together protect employers and employees. Follow news coverage here or share this employer video  (en español) to help spread awareness.

Wage Theft Prevention - Compliance Tools


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​All employees must be provided with a written prehire notice as of January 1, 2020 or at the start of their employment thereafter. Employers must keep a signed copy on file. The notice contains information about certain terms of employment and may be requested by employees in a preferred language. 

Employers may use the example prehire notice (below) or create their own. This example prehire notice may be used to comply with the city wage theft prevention ordinance including provisions adopted from state law.

In addition, employers must distribute the Minneapolis labor poster (below), in electronic or printed form, to all employees on or before their start dates. This same Minneapolis labor poster must also be on display for employees.

Freelance Worker Protections​
Without written contracts, single-person independent contractors are especially vulnerable to exploitation. Therefore, certain contracts with them in Minneapolis must be in writing. See Freelance FAQ's for details. These requirements are distinct from wage theft protections of employees. 

Read Wage Theft FAQs for detailed guidance about rights and responsibilities. 

Fast Facts for Employers
​and Employees
*Please note that the following is only summary information.  
​What is wage theft?
Wage Theft is a failure to fully and timely pay an employee all wages earned.

Examples may include:
  • Working off-the-clock
  • Not receiving required overtime pay
  • Working far more hours than promised for a flat rate
  • Unlawful deductions from paychecks
  • No payment at all
  • Not receiving required paid breaks
  • Not being paid sick & safe time
  • Having hours shaved off of paychecks
HOW is WAGE THEFT prevented?
Under existing state law also adopted by the City, employers must provide employees with written pre-hire notices that establish the employee’s rate of pay and regularly scheduled payday.  Employers must provide earnings statements (e.g. pay stubs) at the end of each pay period.  
WHAT HAPPENS IN CASE OF A DISPUTE?
Effective January 1, 2020, employees who believe they have not been paid timely and fully for wages earned within the city should bring this issue to their employer and/or file a complaint with the City of Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights.  Alternatively, the state of Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry may be able to assist.


WHAT INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED IN A PREHIRE NOTICE?
  • Information required by the State of Minnesota Wage Theft Law
  • ​Date on which employment is to begin
  • Notice of rights under the Sick and Safe Ordinance (notice about the employer's sick leave, paid time off, or other time off policy meeting sick and safe time ordinance requirements); including (1) the method of accrual (e.g. rate at which time off is accrued per pay period or the amount front-loaded); (2) the date upon which the employee is first entitled to use accrued sick and safe time (e.g. no later than 90 days following start date), and (3) the date upon which the employer’s year for the purpose of sick and safe time accrual begins and ends (i.e. the "benefit year")
  • A statement that tip sharing is voluntary - per state law - (if applicable) 
  • The overtime policy applicable to the employee’s position, if any (including the rate or rates of pay and when it applies)

The prehire notice may provide this information by explicit reference to a section of an employee handbook, collective bargaining agreement, or similar document. 

Employees must sign the pre-hire notice to acknowledge its receipt.  Electronic signatures are acceptable. Thereafter, changes (to the information contained in the pre-hire notice) require additional written notice to the employee prior to the date the changes take effect.

Employers must keep a copy of the signed notice, or record of electronic signature, for as long as the employee is employed plus three years. 

ARE EMPLOYERS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE CURRENT EMPLOYEES WITH THE PRE-HIRE NOTICE? ​​
Yes, current employees are covered by the ordinance as of its effective date of January 1, 2020. Any current employee, as of January 1, 2020, who did not previously receive all the required information (including notice of the employer's sick leave, paid time off, or other time off policy which meets sick and safe time ordinance requirements) must be provided with a pre-hire notice no later than during the first full pay period of 2020.
MUST THE WRITTEN PRE-HIRE NOTICE, INCLUDING UPDATES, AND EARNING STATEMENTS BE PROVIDED IN PAPER FORM?
Employers may provide notices electronically (and signatures may be collected electronically) if employees have access and time during work hours to review and print the notices. If the employee requests that notices be provided in paper form, the employer must comply with that request.  
WHAT INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED ON AN EARNINGS STATEMENT?
Earnings statements at the end of each pay period must include:
MUST SICK AND SAFE TIME (OR OTHER QUALIFYING LEAVE) BE INCLUDED ON EVERY EARNINGS STATEMENT?
Yes, the amount of sick and safe time accrued and unused by the employee must be included effective January 1, 2020, for covered employees in Minneapolis.
DOES THE ORDINANCE APPLY TO AN EMPLOYER WHO ISN’T LOCATED IN MINNEAPOLIS BUT HAS AN EMPLOYEE PERFORMING WORK IN MINNEAPOLIS? 
Employees who work at least 80 hours in a year within the geographical boundaries of Minneapolis are covered, regardless of the location of the employer. Covered employees working only occasionally in the city may file complaints with the Department of Civil Rights regarding allegedly earned but unpaid wages for hours worked within the City.

However, an individual who attends a convention, conference, training, educational class, or similar in the City, but performs no other work in the City for an Employer, is not covered by the Ordinance.
I WANT TO REPORT A VIOLATION, BUT I’M AFRAID OF RETALIATION. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Retaliation against an employee for exercising or attempting to exercise any rights available under the Wage Theft Prevention Ordinance is strictly prohibited. Examples of exercising protected rights include: inquiring, disclosing, reporting, or testifying about any reasonably suspected violation of the ordinance. Where necessary, aggressive enforcement to protect employees’ rights will be pursued by the City.
 
It is rebuttably presumed that retaliation has occurred if an employer within ninety (90) days of the employee’s exercise of rights under the Wage Theft Prevention Ordinance materially changes the terms or conditions of the employee’s employment, including terminating, constructively discharging, or reducing the employee’s wages or benefits, or making other changes in the employment that affect the employee's future career prospects. The employer may rebut this presumption by presenting clear and convincing evidence that the action was taken for a non-retaliatory purpose.
Where can i ask more questions?
Labor Standards Enforcement Division staff in the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights are happy to provide technical clarification or answer questions from employers or workers. Contact ​(612) 673-3000 (311) or (612) 673-2157 (TTY) or [email protected] for more information. The Minnesota Department of Labor can also be contacted at 651-284-5070 or  [email protected] .
Where can I report a violation?
Please click HERE to report a violation or click on employee resources in the navigation bar at the top of the screen.
Consultation?
[email protected]
call 311​​​
or text (612) 673-3012

Are you working inside the boundaries of Minneapolis?
Checks maps left and below or enter a street address to identify if it is located inside or outside the City of Minneapolis:
gis.hennepin.us/property/map/default.aspx
Labor Standards
​Enforcement Division
Department of Civil Rights
(612) 673-3000 (call 311)
(612) 263-6850 (TTY)
​(612) 673-3012 (text)
[email protected]

Sick & Safe Time
City of Minneapolis 

​For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats, contact 311. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-263-6850. 

Para asistencia 311, Yog xav tau kev pab, hu 311, Hadii aad Caawimaad u baahantahay 311.
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