You deserve sick time no matter the size of your employer

Yahoo

09-05-2025

The authors writes, "We cannot claim to be a national leader while telling thousands of workers their health and dignity are negotiable because of who signs their paycheck." (Photo by Getty Images.)
Minnesota did the right thing in 2023 by passing earned safe and sick time for all workers.
This was a powerful first step that affirmed a simple truth: No one should be fired, or risk the ability to feed themselves or their family, because of a short-term illness, the need to care of a sick family member, or because they've suffered domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. It was a common sense step toward ensuring dignity for all workers, no matter where we live or what we do.
This week, six members of the Senate DFL joined Republicans to put that promise in danger.
On Tuesday, the Minnesota Senate passed amendments to take ESST away from more than 110,000 workers who have been earning and using earned sick and safe time for 16 months now, for no other reason than the size of their employer.
In doing so, they sent a clear, troubling message: some workers count less than others.
Let it be clear, sick is sick. It doesn't matter if you work in a small business in Minneapolis or as a farmworker in Greater Minnesota. It doesn't matter if you have four coworkers or 40. The need for paid time off to see a doctor, get out of an abusive relationship, or care for a loved one doesn't change based on the size of your workplace. It's a basic dignity that all Minnesotans deserve. But with these amendments, our lawmakers are creating a two-tiered system that leaves behind more than 110,000 Minnesotans, as well as the loved ones we care for.
But this will wind up affecting all of us: The child care workers who nurture our children; the home care workers who take care of the most vulnerable among us; the farm workers who grow and harvest the food we eat.
When we deny these workers the ability to rest, recover or care for loved ones, we don't just endanger their health — we compromise the well-being of our entire society. No community thrives when its families are forced to choose between their health and a paycheck. Undermining their protections is not just unjust — it's dangerous.
These rollbacks are a direct blow not just to workers, but to the industries they claim to protect. Stripping away basic protections makes attracting and retaining workers harder, makes workplaces less safe, fuels public health risks, and undermines the stability families depend on. It's short-sighted and deeply unfair.
For the last 16 months, ESST has allowed all workers to take care of themselves and their loved ones, and made them proud to work in a state where we look out for each other.
As we think of these potential cuts, we are reminded of a story of a young father from Saint Cloud whose partner developed severe vertigo during pregnancy. He had to take on extra caregiving responsibilities for both her and their child, often stepping in when their daughter was sick. Having just started a new job without paid sick days, he was forced to choose between earning a paycheck and being there for his family, a choice that caused immense stress and heartache. These are the families that ESST was developed to protect. These are the painful stories that could again become reality if these carveouts become law.
Luckily, the fight is far from over. The Minnesota House and Gov. Tim Walz now have a critical opportunity and a responsibility to do what the Senate would not: stand up for universal, common-sense protections and reject these harmful carveouts. They must listen to the voices of working Minnesotans who simply want the right to care for themselves and their loved ones without risking their livelihood.
Minnesota promotes itself as one of the best states to live, work and raise a family. We fight for strong public schools, vibrant communities, and a commitment to fairness and opportunity. But policies like these carveouts chip away at basic worker protections and move our state backwards. We cannot claim to be a national leader while telling thousands of workers their health and dignity are negotiable because of who signs their paycheck.
If we want to continue setting the standard for a thriving, equitable state, we must defend the rights that make that possible. Cutting corners on ESST doesn't just hurt workers — it weakens the foundation of what makes Minnesota great.
No worker should be left behind. No exception should be made to basic dignity.