Meat and poultry processing worker information

Packinghouse Workers Bill of Rights law

The Minnesota Packinghouse Workers Bill of Rights states employers must:

• furnish its employees with equipment to safely perform their jobs under occupational safety and health standards; and

• provide an explanation in an employee's native language about the employee's rights and duties as an employee either in person or through written materials that include a description of the:

  • employee's salary and benefits plans,

  • employee's job position,

  • company's leave policies,

  • company's work hours and work-hour policy, and

  • occupational hazards known to exist for the position.

The explanation must also include information about the following employee rights as protected by state or federal law and a description of where additional information about those rights may be obtained:

1. the right to organize and bargain collectively and refrain from organizing and bargaining collectively;

2. the right to a safe workplace; and

3. the right to be free from discrimination.

Bill of rights workplace posters

English | Amharic | Hmong | Karen | Somali | Spanish | Vietnamese 

Employee rights

• You have the right to a safe workplace.

• You have the right to adequate equipment to safely perform your work according to occupational safety and health standards.

• You have the right to be free from discrimination.

• You have the right to organize and bargain collectively.

• You have the right to refrain from organizing and bargaining collectively.

Your employer should provide the following information to you:

• the position's salary and benefits plan;

• a job description;

• the policy description for leave (sick, vacation, personal);

• the work hours and work-hour policy; and

• any known occupational hazards for this position or this type of work.

If you have any questions about your rights, email John Stiffin (john.stiffin@state.mn.us), community services representative, or call 651-284-5075 or 800-342-5354.

Food-processing-industry recruiting law

Employers in the food-processing industry are required to provide disclosure to employees who are recruited to move to Minnesota to work in food-processing plants. The disclosure must include the terms and conditions of employment and be provided in English and Spanish. (See Minnesota Statutes 181.635.)

Under the law, the Department of Labor and Industry is to provide a standard disclosure form for use at the employer's option.

•  Standard disclosure form (English and Spanish provided)

Safe Workplaces for Meat and Poultry Processing Workers Act

The Safe Workplaces for Meat and Poultry Processing Workers Act provides protections for meat-processing workers, including employees, independent contractors and persons hired through a temporary service or staffing agency. Meat-processing workers are those who, while doing work for a meat-processing employer:  work directly in contact with raw meatpacking products in a meatpacking operation; inspect or package meatpacking products; or clean, maintain or sanitize equipment or surfaces.

• Learn about the Safe Workplaces for Meat and Poultry Processing Workers Act

For more information

Contact us at dli.laborstandards@state.mn.us, 651-284-5075 or 800-342-5354.