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Cass County staff say Earned Sick Time Act scheduled to take effect Feb. 21; county to review policies
Summary
Human resources staff told the Cass County Board of Commissioners that the state Earned Sick Time Act (ASTA) is scheduled to take effect Feb. 21 and that nonunion county employees will be affected; county officials said they will review policies and meet with elected officials and department heads about compliance.
Cass County Human Resources staff reported Feb. 20 that the state Earned Sick Time Act (referred to in the meeting as ASTA) is scheduled to take effect tomorrow, Feb. 21, and that the county must review and, if necessary, revise policies to comply.
Beth (Human Resources) told the Board that the law requires employers with 10 or more employees to allow eligible workers to use up to 72 hours of paid sick leave annually, earned at one hour for every 30 hours worked. “The Ernst Sick Time Act referred to as ASTA goes into effect tomorrow. February 21,” Beth said.
She said the county’s nonunion employees will be affected because existing collective bargaining agreements for union employees continue to govern those workers until the contracts expire. Beth added that the county has posted required labor-law notices in county buildings and on its intranet and that an email was sent to elected officials earlier the day of the meeting.
“We will be meeting with the elected officials to start discussing our policies and to review any possible modifications that are needed,” Beth said, and staff planned to email department heads and nonunion employees with information about the law and how to find the posted notice.
Beth told commissioners the county already provides a leave bank (earned time off) of 84 hours annually for many employees, which exceeds the 72-hour minimum, but said other ASTA provisions — including record-keeping and rollover rules — may require policy adjustments. She said the county would await possible legislative amendments (the House and Senate were considering changes) but must proceed on the currently scheduled effective date.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about implementation steps and who the county would meet with; Beth confirmed meetings with co‑employers and elected officials were planned for the next week. No formal vote was taken at the meeting; the item was informational and staff said it will return to the board if policy changes are required.
The Board’s next steps include internal meetings to identify policy changes, account for record-keeping requirements, and determine whether updates must be brought back to the commissioners for approval.
