BOP NEWSLETTER • August 2023

Minnesota: Paid Sick Leave, Paid Family Leave, and State-Sponsored Retirement

Paid Sick Leave

• Effective January 1, 2024.
• Applies to all businesses with 1 or more employees.
• All employees will earn 1 hour for every 30 hours worked up to 48 hours in a year.
• Employees will be able to take time off for their own or their family member’s illness or health condition or preventive care, instances related to domestic violence and sexual assault, and more.

Bent Ericksen & Associates will ensure you have a compliant policy ready to implement by January 1st. 

Paid Family and Medical Leave

• Launching Jan. 1, 2026.
• Applies to all businesses with 1 or more employees.
• This state-run program provides paid time off when a serious health condition prevents employees from working, when they need time to care for a family member or a new child, for certain military-related events, or for domestic violence and sexual assault.

Secure Choice Retirement Program

• Scheduled to launch no earlier than January 1, 2025.
• Applies to all businesses with 5 or more employees who do not sponsor their own retirement plans.
• Covered employers will be required to enroll their employees, withhold contributions from payroll, remit payroll contributions to the program, and provide program information to employees.

Rhode Island: Nondisclosure, Non-Disparagement Agreements Banned

On June 22, 2023, Governor Daniel McKee signed Senate Bill (S) 0342, which prohibits employers from requiring employees to enter into nondisclosure or non-disparagement agreements. The new law took effect immediately.

Specifically, the new law prohibits employers from requiring employees to sign a nondisclosure or non-disparagement provision “concerning alleged violations of civil rights or alleged unlawful conduct, or any agreement with a clause that requires alleged violations of civil rights remain confidential.” Under the law, any contractual provision that violates this prohibition is “void as a violation of public policy.”