Paid Leave Summary

Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML or Paid Leave) is coming to Minnesota, and the time to prepare is now. All employers, with limited exception, must provide paid leave to their Minnesota based employees starting January 1, 2026. You can provide Paid Leave through the State of Minnesota or through a private plan that has been approved by the State of Minnesota. However, some insurance companies are closing or have closed their private plans for enrollment. If a private plan is not an option, then you must use the State of Minnesota’s plan.

By December 1, 2025, employers must have informed their employees about their rights and benefits under this new program. You must notify employees in their native language and hand a workplace poster in English and any language spoken by five or more employees in your employee breakroom. The Minnesota Paid Leave website has the poster that you have to provide to both each employee individually and also post in your employee breakroom or a place where an employee can easily see it. The Minnesota Paid Leave website will also have the poster available in multiple languages.

Minnesota’s Paid Leave coverage provides payments and job protection for Medical Leave of up to twelve weeks and Family Leave of up to twelve weeks. Combined leave of Medical Leave and Family Leave cannot be more than 20 weeks in a year. The leave includes your own serious health condition, bonding with a new child, caring for a loved one, managing military leave and certain personal safety issues.

Spangler and de Stefano, PLLP advises employers about Paid Leave and an employer’s obligations under Paid Leave.

The material contained herein is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to create or constitute an attorney-client relationship between Spangler and de Stefano, PLLP and the reader. The information contained herein is not offered as legal advice and should not be construed as legal advice.