Since passage in 2019, confusion exists among employers and employees

Senator Eric Pratt (R-Prior Lake), Chair of the Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Committee, sent a letter to Commissioner Nancy Leppink of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) concerning recent confusion in implementing the new bipartisan wage theft law passed by the legislature in 2019. Specifically, Senator Pratt cites two examples of “areas of confusion and efforts by [DLI], intentional or unintentional, to expand the law without legislation.”

“Since the passage of this bipartisan legislation, it has become apparent that what was intended to provide strong protections against wage theft, has also turned into a confusing administrative process for employers,” said Senator Pratt, chief-author of the bill in the Senate. “I am also concerned that the guidance documentation provided by DLI to employers overly complicates and stretches the intent of the wage theft law in certain areas.”

In addition to sending the letter to Commissioner Leppink, Senator Pratt also included Governor Tim Walz and leaders in the House and Senate in the correspondence. The full letter can be found here.

“During the next legislative session, we can work together to clarify the law and properly carry out the intent of this bipartisan legislation,” added Senator Pratt. “In the meantime, I hope that DLI and their wage theft enforcement team will not only investigate actual claims of wage theft, but also address the unintended negative consequences of implementing the law that added burdensome and unnecessary costs to our good employers.”