NEWS RELEASE
Rep. Hodan Hassan
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 62B – 651-296-0294 – rep.hodan.hassan@house.mn.gov
597 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. Hodan Hassan applauds the 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. Hodan Hassan (DFL – Minneapolis) is a co-author of the legislation and voted to support it. Rep. Hassan is also the Chair of the Economic Development and Finance Committee. She issued the following statement:
“The United States of America is the only developed country in the world that does not guarantee some sort of paid leave for its workforce, and it’s been a major disservice to our citizens and our economy. In addition to the benefits for workers, paid family and medical leave will also benefit businesses. Studies have shown that businesses with paid family and medical leave policies have lower turnover rates, higher productivity, and stronger employee morale. Paid family and medical leave will also help to attract and retain top talent. Our bill creates a grant program for businesses with 50 employees or fewer that could apply for grants to cover certain costs. This is a massive win for Minnesota.”
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