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Minnesota Frontline Worker Pay

05/16/2022
Barb Sawdy

On April 29th, Minnesota passed the Frontline Worker Payment bill.  Employers are responsible for providing notices to current employees advising them that they may be eligible and how to apply for benefits.  These notices are due no later than 15 days after the application period is opened.  Any employees in the following industries will need to be notified as soon as the sample form is available from the Department of Labor and Industry:

  • long-term care and home care
  • health care
  • emergency responders
  • public health, social service, and regulatory service
  • courts and corrections
  • childcare
  • schools, including charter schools, state schools and higher education
  • food service, including production, processing, preparation, sale, and delivery
  • retail, including sales, fulfillment, distribution, and delivery
  • temporary shelters and hotels
  • building services, including maintenance, janitorial and security
  • public transit
  • ground and air transportation services
  • manufacturing
  • vocational rehabilitation

Workers have 45 days after the applications are open to submit their requests.  Eligible workers must meet the following criteria:

  • must have been employed at least 120 hours in Minnesota in one or more frontline sectors between March 15, 2020, and June 30, 2021.
  • for the hours worked during this time period the applicant
    • was not able to telework due to the nature of the individual’s work and
    • worked in close proximity to people outside of the individual’s household
  • must meet the income requirements for at least one year between Dec. 31, 2019, and Jan. 1, 2022
    • workers with direct COVID-19 patient care responsibilities must have had an adjusted gross income of less than $350,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly, or less than $175,000 for other filers and
    • for workers in occupations without direct COVID-19 patient care responsibilities, the adjusted gross income limit is $185,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly, or $85,000 for other filers; and
  • must not have received an unemployment insurance benefit payment for more than 20 weeks on a cumulative basis for weeks between March 15, 2020, and June 26, 2021 (Minnesota Statutes, section 268.085, subdivision 1, clause 6).

Each eligible applicant will be provided with an equal payment not to exceed $1,500.

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