DepartmentofCivilRights350s.5thSt.,Room239Minneapolis,MN55415

TEL 612.673.2091

MINNEAPOLISDEPARTMENTOFCIVILRIGHTSRULESIMPLEMENTINGTHEMINNEAPOLISMUNICIPALMINIMUMWAGEORDINANCE

Rule1.Definitions.1.1 OrdinancemeanstheMinneapolisCodeofOrdinances,Title2,Chapter40,ArticleIV

1.2 CitymeanstheCityofMinneapolis.

1.3 ReportedViolationmeanstheallegedviolationofChapter40,ArticleIV,reportedontheDepartment’s“ReportofViolation”formandsubmittedtotheDepartment.

1.4 Unlessdefinedabove,thecapitalizedwordsusedintheserulesaredefinedintheOrdinance,section40.330.

Rule2.CoveredEmployees.2.1 Acoveredemployeeisanyindividual:

(a) whoperformsworkforanemployerforcompensation,unlessotherwiseexcludedbytheOrdinance;AND

(b) performsthatworkfortwo(2)ormorehoursinaweek(definedasthe7dayperiodrunningfromMondaythroughSunday),withintheCityofMinneapolis.

2.2 PersonswhoareexemptfromthestateminimumwageunderMinnesotaStatuteSection177.23(thestate

minimumwagelaw)arealsoexemptfromtheMinneapolismunicipalminimumwage.Additionally,a)independentcontractorsandb)certainworkersparticipatinginaMinnesotaDepartmentofEmploymentandEconomicDevelopmentprogramforpersonswithdisabilitiesareexemptfromtheminimumwageordinance.

2.3(a) Ifanemployeeworks2ormorehourswithintheCityinaparticularweek(fromMondaythrough

Sunday),theemployeemustbepaidatleasttheminimumwageestablishedbytheOrdinanceforthetimeduringthatweekthatwasworkedwithintheCity.Employeeswhoworklessthan2hourswithintheCityinaparticularweek(fromMondaythroughSunday)arenotcoveredbytheOrdinance.

(b)OnlytimeworkedwithinthegeographiclimitsoftheCityiscoveredbytheOrdinance.Timeduringwhich

anemployeeperformsworkoutsidethegeographicallimitsoftheCityisnotcoveredbytheOrdinance.

(c) TimeduringwhichanemployeepassesthroughtheCitywithoutmakinganywork-relatedstopsisnotcoveredbytheOrdinance.

(d)Examples:

i. IndividualswhotravelthroughtheCitydonotearntheminimumwagerateestablishedbythisOrdinanceiftheymakenostopsforworkpurposes,ormakeonlyincidentalstopsnotconsideredtobedutiesorfunctionsofthejob(e.g.purchasinggas,eatingameal,orchangingaflattire).

ii. IndividualswhotravelthroughtheCity,andstopintheCityasapurposeoftheirwork(e.g.tomakepickupsordeliveriesorperformotherjobduties),arecoveredbytheOrdinanceforallhoursworkedintheCity.However,theOrdinanceandthisruleapplyonlyiftheindividualperformsatleasttwohoursofworkwithintheCityinaparticularweek.

iii. Anindividualwhoattendsaconvention,conference,training,educationalclass,orsimilarintheCity,butperformsnootherworkintheCityforanEmployer,isnotcoveredbytheOrdinance.

2.4 Anemployermaymakeareasonableestimateofanemployee’stimespentworkingintheCityforpurposes

ofdeterminingeligibilityfortheminimumwagerateestablishedbythisOrdinance.Documentationofhowthereasonableestimatewasderivedmayinclude,butisnotlimitedto,dispatchlogs,employeelogs,deliveryaddressesandestimatedtraveltimes,orhistoricalaverages.

2.5 Anemployee,whoisotherwisecoveredbytheOrdinance,iscoveredregardlessofimmigrationstatus.Rule3:EnforcementbytheDepartment.

3.1 AnyemployeeorpersonmayreportanallegedviolationoftheOrdinance,usingtheDepartment’s“Reportof

Violation”form,totheMinneapolisDepartmentofCivilRightsLaborStandardsEnforcementDivisioninperson,online,byU.S.Mailorbyemail.

3.2 TheDepartmentmayinvestigateananonymousreportofasuspectedviolationpursuanttotherequirements

ofRule4.1.3.3 TheDepartmentshallprovideasimpleformforreportsofviolation.3.4 ReportedViolationsmustbefiledwithinoneyearofanallegedviolation.3.5 AReportedViolationmustincludeadescriptionofthefactsthatformthebasisoftheallegedviolation(s),

andshould,whenpossible,includeapproximatedate(s)oftheallegedviolation(s),thenamesandcontactinformationofperson(s)withpersonalknowledgeofthefactsalleged,anddocumentsorotherevidentiarymaterial.

3.6 TheDepartmenthassolediscretiontodecidewhethertoinvestigate,prioritizeorpursueaviolationofthe

Ordinance.TheDepartmentmaynotinvestigateaReportedViolationthatisfrivolousonitsface,undefinedordoesnotidentifytheallegedviolator.

3.7 TheDepartmentmayprovidetechnicalassistanceorotherwiseattempttosettleadisputeinformally.3.8 TheMinnesotaGovernmentDataPracticesActgovernsthedataprovidedtotheDepartment.3.9 IftheDepartmentdecidesnottoinvestigateorotherwisepursueaReportedViolation,theDepartmentmust

promptlyprovideawrittennotificationtothereporterandincludeanexplanationofitsdecisionandthereporter’srightstoappeal.Thereportermay,within21calendardaysofthedateofthewrittennotification,

filearequestforreconsiderationwiththeDirector.TheDirectorshallrespondinwritingtotherequestforreconsiderationwithin10calendardays.

3.10 TheDepartmentshallnotinvestigateanyReportedViolationmadebyoronbehalfofanemployeeifitknows

thattheemployeehascommencedacivilactionarisingfromthesamefactsorcircumstances,unlessthecivilactionisfirstdismissedwithoutprejudice.AnemployermaynotifytheDepartmentinwritingthatacivilactionhasbeencommencedbyprovidingacopyofthecivilcomplaint.

Rule4.Investigationprocess.4.1 TheDepartmentmayconductaninvestigationonitsowninitiativeorfollowingreceiptofaReported

Violation.4.2 UponDepartmentdecisiontopursueaninvestigation,theDepartmentshallsend,byU.S.mail,anoticeof

investigationtotheemployer.Thenoticeofinvestigationshallincludepertinentfacts,allegations,andjurisdictionalauthority.

4.3 AwarningnottoretaliateagainstEmployeesshallaccompanythenoticeofinvestigation.4.4 AnemployershallsubmitallpayrollandtimerecordsorotherdatarequestedbytheDepartmentinthe

formatrequestedbytheDepartment.4.5 Anemployermaysubmittothedepartmentanyadditionaldocumentation,evidence,orwritteninformation

itdeemsnecessary.4.6 Employerresponsesmustbesubmittedwithin21calendardaysofthedateofthenoticetotheemployer.4.7 WhendeemedappropriatebytheDirector,theDepartmentmayholdfactfindingorsettlementconferences

duringtheinvestigationofaReportedViolationtoidentifyundisputedelementsofaReportedViolation,defineandresolvethedisputedelementsoftheReportedViolation,orattempttosettlethedisputethroughnegotiatedagreement.TheDirectorshallprovidewrittennoticeofsuchaconferenceatleast10calendardaysinadvance.

4.8 AnEmployer’sfailuretotimelyandfullyrespondtoarequestissuedbytheDepartmentortoparticipateina

fact-findingorsettlementconferencecreatesarebuttablepresumptionofaviolation.4.9 TheDirectormayextendanyofthetimelimitsinthisRuleforareasonableperioduponrequestoruponthe

Director’sinitiativetopromotefullandfairproceedings.Rule5.DispositionofInvestigation.5.1 TheDepartmentmayagreetoasettlementoftheinvestigationpriortotheissuanceofadetermination.5.2 ExceptwheretheDepartmententersintoasettlementofthematterpriortoissuanceofadeterminationor

wheretheDepartmentdeclinestopursueaReportedViolation,theDepartmentshallissueawrittendeterminationandfindingsoffactresultingfromitsinvestigationandastatementofwhetheraviolation

occurredbaseduponapreponderanceoftheevidence.SuchadeterminationshallbeissuedinwritingtotheEmployerandreporterandincludeexplanationofrightstoappeal.

5.3 TheDepartmentmayorderanyappropriatereliefasaresultofitsinvestigationandfinaldetermination

including,butnotlimitedto,administrativefinesandremedieslistedinsection40.410(b)oftheOrdinance.Rule6.Appeals6.1 AreporteroremployermayappealadeterminationbyfilinganappealinwritingtotheDepartmentwithin

21calendardaysfromthedateofserviceofthewrittendetermination.6.2 Inadditiontoproceduresspecifiedinsection40.130oftheOrdinance,appealsshallbegovernedby

MinneapolisCodeofOrdinances,Title1,Chapter2,AdministrativeEnforcementandHearingProcess,section2.100.

6.3 ThehearingofficershallconsidertherecordsubmittedtoitbytheDepartmentandanywrittenposition

statementssubmittedbytheparties.ApartymaynotproducenewinformationforthepurposeofchallengingtheDepartment’sfindingsoranadministrativefineiftheinformationwaspreviouslyavailableyetnotsubmitted.Thisruleshallnotpreventthehearingofficerfromtakingtestimonyinthediscretionofthehearingofficer.