MN Frontline Worker Pay

About
To thank those Minnesotans who worked on the frontlines during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency, Gov. Tim Walz signed a law April 29, 2022, enabling those workers to apply for Frontline Worker Pay. Details of the program, including the application process and timeline, are online at frontlinepay.mn.gov. Visit the website to sign up to receive emailed updates about Frontline Worker Pay.
Who is eligible
There are initially two parts to who is eligible to apply: the work requirements and the 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;
• 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;
• must meet the income requirements for at least one of the 2020 or 2021 tax years –
• workers with direct COVID-19 patient care responsibilities must have had an adjusted
gross income* less than $350,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly, or less than
$175,000 for other filers and
• for workers in occupations without direct COVID-19 patient care responsibilities, the
adjusted gross income* limit is $185,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly, or $85,000
for other filers; 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.
*More about adjusted gross income: irs.gov/e-file-providers/definition-of-adjusted-gross-income.

Job sectors

1. building services, including maintenance, janitorial and security;
2. child care;
3. courts and corrections;
4. emergency responders;
5. food service, including production, processing, preparation, sale and delivery;
6. ground and air transportation services;
7. health care;
8. long-term care and home care;
9. manufacturing;
10. public health, social service and regulatory service;
11. public transit;
12. retail, including sales, fulfillment, distribution and delivery;
13. schools, including charter schools, state schools and higher education;
14. temporary shelters and hotels; and
15. vocational rehabilitation

Where to apply
After the application is ready, eligible workers will have 45 days to apply for Frontline Worker Pay at frontlinepay.mn.gov. Visit the webpage for helpful resources, such as answers to frequently asked questions, informational handouts in multiple languages, brief how-to videos and more.

CHWs, if you haven’t already done so, and if you are eligible, please take this time to apply for this!

We appreciate all the work that you do to support the communities we serve. Thank you!