The North Dakota Employers

On April 29, 2022, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed into law the Minnesota Frontline Workers Payments Act (“The Act”) to serve as a thank you by providing bonus pay for COVID-19 frontline workers. Those who were employed for at least 120 hours in Minnesota in one or more of the eligible frontline sectors (discussed below) between March 15, 2020, and June 30, 2021, are welcome to apply starting June 8, 2022, and the application closes on July 22, 2022.

What does this mean for Area Employers?

The Act requires employers in frontline sectors to provide notice to all current employees who may be eligible by June 23, 2022. The notice must advise current employees of the assistance potentially available to them and how to apply for benefits. The notice must be provided in a form approved by the Department of Labor and Industry, and by the same means the employer uses to provide other work-related notices to employees. An approved employer notice flyer is available here. (Approved flyers available in different languages can be found here.)

Further employer notice requirements are that the notice must be at least as conspicuous as:

  • Posting a copy of the notice at each work site where workers work and where the notice may be readily observed and reviewed by all workers working at the site, OR
  • Providing a paper or electronic copy of the notice to ALL workers.

What is a Frontline Sector according to The Act?

The Act lists fifteen eligible sectors:

  1. Long-term care;
  2. health care;
  3. emergency responders;
  4. public health, social service, and regulatory service;
  5. courts and corrections;
  6. child care;
  7. schools, including charter schools, state schools, and higher education;
  8. food service, including production, processing, preparation, sale, and delivery;
  9. retail, including sales, fulfillment, distribution, and delivery;
  10. temporary shelters and hotels;
  11. building services, including maintenance and janitorial;
  12. public transit;
  13. ground and air transportation services;
  14. manufacturing; and
  15. vocational rehabilitation.

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry has provided a FAQ on its website to help employers and potential applicants. For more information, contact your Vogel Law Firm employment team.