ADDITIONAL MINNESOTA REQUIREMENTS As referenced above, the Minnesota Legislature this past year amended existing state labor laws and created significant new notice and recordkeeping requirements, recognized "wage theft", and imposed serious civil and criminal penalties for violations. This applies to all companies and organizations with Minnesota-based employees. The new legislation also allows the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) to enter the places of business of employers, during working hours, to investigate potential violations. The investigation authority includes the ability to collect various evidence or potential violations and to interview witnesses. The purpose of this new law is to create greater transparency and clarity of payment calculations for employees, especially those who are overtime-eligible. With this new law, employers must provide employees with information regarding components of their compensation, overtime eligibility status, timing of wage payments, potential deductions from pay, and company contact information. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry provides an excellent series of guidance documents, a question and answer page and sample notice forms businesses can use to comply with these changes. Employers should familiarize themselves with the requirements in full to ensure compliance. Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry resources can be found at (1) Wage Theft Law, (2) Guidance for employers on Minnesota’s new Wage T heft Law, (3) Wage Theft Q & A () and (4) For Employers: Summary of Minnesota's new Wage Theft Law, (5) Employee Wage Notice Examples; Notice (PDF) and Notice (DOCX). Editor's note : The City of Minneapolis Wage Theft Prevention Ordinance took effect on January 1, 2020. Minneapolis employers must comply with the city's wage theft ordinance. View the wage ordinance at Wage Theft Prevention. Information to be disclosed to new employees by employers (Minn. Stat. § 181.032) The new law requires all employers to provide each employee with a written notice at the start of their employment. First, employers must provide (more) detailed information to employees ((Minn. Stat. § 181.032 (d)-(f).)) At the start of employment, Minnesota employers must now provide a written notice that includes the following: - The rate or rates of pay and basis thereof, including whether the employee is paid by the hour, shift, day, week, salary, piece, commission, or other method, and the specific application of any additional rates; - Allowances, if any, claimed pursuant to permitted meals and lodging; - Paid vacation, sick time, or other paid time-off accruals and terms of use; - The employee’s employment status and whether the employee is exempt from minimum wage, overtime, and other provisions of chapter 177, and on what basis; - A list of deductions that may be made from the employee’s pay; - The number of days in a pay period, the regularly scheduled pay day, and the pay day on which the employee will receive the first payment of wages earned;
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