NEWS RELEASE
Rep. Jeff Brand
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 18A – 651-296-8634– rep.jeff.brand@house.mn.gov
501 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marlee Schlegel
651-296-9873 or marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
May 2, 2023
Rep. Jeff Brand statement on passage of Paid Family and Medical Leave
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, the Minnesota House passed HF 2, known as Paid Family and Medical Leave. The bill provides Minnesota workers up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for family or themselves. The program is funded by a small employer and employee contribution, meaning lost wages from time off will be recovered by the State fund, not employers.
Every day in Minnesota, workers face the impossible choice of either going to work to earn a paycheck or staying home to take care of themselves or a sick family member. While some workers have jobs that provide paid sick leave, thousands of Minnesotans do not have access to a single paid day off. Additionally, those in the lowest wage positions and our BIPOC community members face stark disparities.
Rep. Jeff Brand (DFL – Saint Peter) is a co-author of the legislation and voted to support it. He issued the following statement:
“Minnesota has a long-term challenge in growing our labor force. A family-friendly workplace is one of the best ways to achieve that. Paid family & medical leave is a good policy for workers, families, and businesses. Fortune 500 companies already offer this, and we continue to hemorrhage workers to the Twin Cities. The program will ensure that even small businesses can offer this major benefit at a low cost.”
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