Minnesota Court of Appeals Affirms Injunction Limiting Minneapolis Sick and Safe Time Ordinance to Businesses Located Inside City Limits

On September 18, 2017, the Minnesota Court of Appeals issued a decision affirming a temporary injunction issued on January 19, 2017 by a Hennepin County District Court in which the lower court limited the Minneapolis sick and safe time ordinance to businesses located within the city limits of Minneapolis. The challenge to the ordinance was brought by a number of business entities and spearheaded by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. The plaintiffs sought to prevent Minneapolis from enforcing the ordinance in entirety.  In issuing the injunction, the district court enjoined the city of Minneapolis from enforcing the ordinance against employers located wholly outside the city but found that the city is within its rights to enforce the ordinance against employers located within city limits. 

The Court of Appeals’ decision affirms the current status quo, as the parties have yet to argue the merits of the ordinance in the district court. This means that pending any further decision by the district court, the city of Minneapolis is enjoined from enforcing its ordinance against employers located outside of the city with no office in the city, even if that business employs workers inside the geographic boundaries of the city more than 80 hours a year.  

For a more detailed discussion about the ordinance and the injunction, please click here.