Minnesota paid family and medical leave begins in 2026
Minnesota’s paid Family and Medical Benefit Insurance Program (Paid Leave), which applies to employers of all sizes, will provide job-protected leave for employees beginning January 1, 2026. The program will be funded through employee and employer payroll contribution. Employers should begin deducting the employee share of the premium on January 1, 2026. The first premium must be paid to the state Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) by April 30, 2026. The Paid Leave law allows covered employees to take up to 12 weeks of medical leave for their own serious health condition or up to 12 weeks of family leave per benefit year. If an employee needs both medical leave and family leave during a benefit year, the total combined leave is limited to 20 weeks per benefit year. Almost all employees who work in the state at least 50% of the time and earn at least 5.3% of the state’s average annual wage are covered by this law.
Employer notice
Employers must provide certain information in writing to each employee in their primary language within 30 days of their employment start date. For current employees, it must be given to them by December 1, 2025. If an employee doesn’t acknowledge receipt of this notice, employers should be able to demonstrate how the information was provided. The DEED has provided a sample notice. By December 1, 2025, employers must display the poster issued by the DEED in a conspicuous place at each worksite. It must also be displayed in any language that is the primary language of five or more workers at that worksite, if made available by the DEED.
More information
The state has a website with FAQs, an overview of the program, and other resources for employers. Additional details on Paid Leave can be found on the Minnesota Family and Medical Leave laws page.
Action Items
- Provide notice to employees by December 1, 2025 (or within 30 days of an employee’s start date, if later).
- Display a poster at each worksite by December 1, 2025.
- Create a Paid Leave policy.
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