Proclamation of the Mayor
I, Jacob Frey, Mayor of the City of Minneapolis, subject to the authority granted to me pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Ch. 12.29 and Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 128.50-60 do hereby proclaim the following Emergency Regulation:
Emergency Regulation No. 2021-2
Whereas, on March 16, 2020, I declared a local public health emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the City of Minneapolis and assumed executive responsibilities attendant thereto; and
Whereas, H.R. 6201, signed into law on March 18, 2020, contains the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act that provides up to 80 hours of emergency paid leave for absences due to illness, quarantine, and school or place of care closure as result of COVID-19; and
Whereas, H.R. 6201 contains the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act that amends the Family and Medical Leave Act and provides for up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for absences due to illness, quarantine, and school and place of care closure as a result of COVID-19; and
Whereas, City of Minneapolis employees, with certain exceptions including elected officials and certain non-civil service employees, are eligible for the benefits provided by the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act; and
Whereas, H.R. 6201 provides that employers may elect to exclude Emergency Responders from certain benefits provided under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act; and
Whereas, subsequent to the issuance of Emergency Regulation No. 2020-6, the federal government issued substantial guidance interpreting the scope and operation of the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act; and
Whereas, Emergency Regulation No. 2020-14 amendments promoted operational consistency with Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act provisions; and
Whereas, subsequent to the issuance of Emergency Regulation No. 2020-14, the City’s Emergency Responders experienced COVID-19 exposure at City workplaces necessitating isolation and/or quarantine in excess of the Emergency Responder Leave #1; and
Whereas, Emergency Regulation No. 2020-18 amendments allowed for Emergency Responder access to Emergency Responder Leave #2 when employees are required to isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure; and
Whereas, City departments with large numbers of Emergency Responders such as Police, Fire, and Public Works, cannot accommodate the number of employee leave requests to utilize earned COVID Leave #2 hours by the end of 2022 without incurring significant overtime costs and experiencing scheduling difficulties; and
Whereas, it is necessary and prudent to provide an additional 12 months for departments to schedule and approve the use of COVID Leave #2 earned hours for their employees.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jacob Frey, Mayor of the City of Minneapolis, do hereby amend Emergency Regulation No. 2020-18 to provide that any remaining hours of Leave #2 must be utilized, with supervisor approval, by December 31, 2023.
Additional Terms:
- This Order is effective upon issuance.
February 19, 2021