ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- Beginning next Monday, a new law means nearly all Minnesota workers earn sick-and-safe time at their jobs (one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours a year.)

Senate bill sponsor, Saint Paul Democrat Sandy Pappas says coming out of a pandemic...

"We know how important it is for people to stay home when they're sick so they don't spread their illness to their fellow workers, and then the entire business would have to shut down."

Lauryn Schothorst with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce says sick-and-safe-time recordkeeping changes are costing businesses thousands of dollars, and some might have to change flexible work schedules, health care benefits or available vacation.

"You might have had a certain number of vacation days. Now it's being absorbed into the sick-and-safe time, ...a number of hours."

Schothorst contends it's basically a new paid-time-off policy that employers have little control over.

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