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Colleagues,
We wanted to make sure you heard about a new Frontline Worker Pay program that launched today and will be open for applications through July 22.
To thank those Minnesotans who worked on the frontlines during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency, Gov. Tim Walz signed Frontline Worker Payments into law April 29 enabling those workers to apply for Frontline Worker Pay.
Review this email for details on:
- Who is eligible
- How to apply
- Important dates
- Additional resources
Managers are encouraged to post this employer notice (PDF) onsite and to refer to this email and additional resources from the state to support our employees.
Eligibility
Eligibility is based on both work requirements and job sector.
Work requirements
To be eligible for Frontline Worker Pay, the applicant:
- Must have been employed at least 120 hours in Minnesota in one or more frontline sectors
between March 15, 2020, and June 30, 2021; and
- For the hours worked during this time period the applicant:
- Was not able to telework due to the nature of the individual’s work and
- Worked in close proximity to people outside of the individual’s household; and
- Must meet the income requirements*; and
- Must not have received an unemployment insurance benefit payment for more than 20
weeks on a cumulative basis for weeks between March 15, 2020, and June 26, 2021.
*Review the income requirements in the Frontline Worker Pay info sheet (PDF).
Job sector
The legislation identifies the following sectors in the definition of “frontline sector”:
- Building services, including maintenance, janitorial, and security
- Child care
- Courts and corrections
- Emergency responders
- Food service, including production, processing, preparation, sale, and delivery
- Ground and air transportation services
- Health care
- Long-term care and home care
- Manufacturing
- Public health, social service, and regulatory service
- Public transit
- Retail, including sales, fulfillment, distribution, and delivery
- Schools, including charter schools, state schools, and higher education
- Temporary shelters and hotels
- Vocational rehabilitation
For examples of work settings within each sector, check the Frontline Sector Guidance fact sheet (PDF).
Applying
Frontline Worker Pay applications are open June 8 through July 22, 2022.
Applications can be submitted at FrontlinePay.mn.gov.
The applicant should be prepared to certify that they meet all eligibility requirements and provide information about themselves and their employer.
Staff can use this employer information for their application:
Employer name: Metropolitan Council
Employer phone number: 651-602-1000
Employer email address: HumanResources@metc.state.mn.us
Employer address: 390 Robert Street North, St. Paul, MN 55101
View the full list of information needed in the Applications Basics fact sheet (PDF).
The toolkit resources and application are available in Español/Spanish, Hmoob/Hmong, and Soomaali/Somali.
Timeline
The 45-day application period will be followed by a 15-day period to allow for appeals from those whose applications were denied. After verification and processing of the applications are completed, the final list of eligible applicants will be determined, and each eligible applicant will be provided with an equal payment in early fall.
All applications will move through the process at the same time and payments will be forwarded for processing together.
As today is the first day to apply, the state is experiencing a very high volume of applications. Please know that all applications received within the 45-day application period will be treated equally – they are not first come, first served within that time frame. If you cannot get through on the website today, you can apply anytime before the deadline and your application will be treated the same as those submitted on day 1.
The last day to apply will be Friday, July 22.
Resources and help
Visit dli.mn.gov/toolkit for an explanation of the requirements, the most up-to-date information, and helpful resources. You can also sign up to receive alerts about Frontline Worker Pay via email.
For more detailed information, review the Frontline Worker Pay FAQs (PDF).
For help completing the application, email MNFrontlinePay@submittable.com or call 866-333-7633. A call center and help desk are available to assist applicants in multiple languages.
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