Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board outlines staged wages, holiday pay and waiver process; implementation paused pending funding and approvals

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board told the House Workforce, Labor and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee on March 5 that it has spent 18 months collecting data, holding public forums and drafting rules that set minimum wages and worker protections for nursing homes. The board adopted two sets of rules in May 2024: one set requires legislative appropriation and federal approval before going into effect (earliest effective date 1/1/2026); another set, including holiday pay and posting requirements, was adopted to take effect 1/1/2025.

Leah Solow, executive director of the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board, told the committee the board—s work included five public forums (three in person, two virtual) attended by 224 speakers and about 200 online questionnaire responses, plus multiple data reviews with state agencies. "Our purpose is to conduct investigations into working conditions in the nursing home industry and adopt rules establishing minimum employment standards reasonably necessary and appropriate to protect the health and welfare of nursing home workers," Solow said, quoting the board's enabling…