Paid Leave Updates – March 2025

Implementation Update

Minnesota will be the 13^th state to launch a statewide Paid Leave program. We’re committed to collaborating with stakeholders to build an intuitive and accessible Paid Leave program that works for businesses, individuals, healthcare providers, and all Minnesotans.

Employers, learn about Paid Leave at an event near you!  

As an employer, you play an important role in helping your employees learn about and access Minnesota Paid Leave. To help you prepare, Paid Leave staff are partnering with local chambers of commerce for a series of in-person engagement sessions for employers in April and May. At these sessions, we will provide an overview of the program, share recent updates, answer your questions, and help you get ready to meet your responsibilities under Paid Leave.

Share your experience to help build Paid Leave

Have you recently taken, or are you planning to take, paid or unpaid leave from work? We’d love to hear from you! Join a short virtual interview in the next two months through Microsoft Teams. Participants may receive a virtual gift card from our application development partner.

Public Outreach Grants for Paid Leave

Paid Leave Public Outreach Grants will be launching in early April. This will be a competitive grant process, with applications and review. Updates will be posted on the Paid Leave Grants website once available, including resources, the request for proposals, and application instructions. We look forward to sharing more about this competitive grant opportunity in coming days.

Upcoming webinars: learn more about Paid Leave!

Last month, Paid Leave launched a new monthly webinar series to help Minnesotans understand how Paid Leave will work and how it may benefit you or your organization. Paid Leave also hosts webinars on specific topics, like one coming up to help employers meet their responsibilities under Paid Leave.

Next webinar:

Intro to Paid Leave

📆 Thursday April 10, 2025

⌚12:00pm-1:00pm CT

Hiring Spotlight

The Minnesota Paid Leave team is growing fast. We are a start-up in state government and are actively hiring for leaders to deliver on the promises of the legislation.

• Principal Compliance and Risk Management Analyst (Apply by April 2, 2025)
• Principal Fraud Risk and Audit Analyst (Apply by April 2, 2025)
• Payments and Compliance Specialist (Apply by April 2, 2025)

Want to learn more about opportunities with Paid Leave? Come meet our team at the People of Color Career Fair:

📆 April 15, 2025 at Saint Paul RiverCentre!

Learn more and register on the career fair website: People Of Color Career Fair™

Top Questions We're Hearing

• How will premiums work for people who earn minimum wage?
  
  Employers are required to pay at least half of the premium for each employee and may choose to pay more. Paid Leave premiums cannot cause an employee to make less than minimum wage. In that case, employers must make up the difference, whether that’s by increasing wages or covering a greater portion of the premium.

• When will premium collection and payment begin?
  
  Paid Leave is paid for by premiums on employee wages, split between the employer and employee. Employers can begin to deduct employees’ share of the premium on January 1, 2026, when benefits become available. Employers will pay the first premiums to the State of Minnesota's Department of Employment and Economic Development by April 30, 2026. First premium amounts will be based on wages paid from January 1, 2026 to March 31, 2026.

• Is there a maximum contribution for an employee?
  
  Premiums are due on wages up to the Social Security Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance limit, rounded to the nearest $1,000. For 2025, this amount is $176,000. Premiums are due on wages earned for work covered by Paid Leave.

• Are remote workers covered by Paid Leave?
  
  People are covered by Paid Leave if they work 50 percent or more of the year in Minnesota. For people who do not work 50 percent or more of the year in any one state – for example, someone who splits their time equally between Minnesota and two other states – they are covered by Paid Leave if they live in Minnesota.

For More Information

You can find more information for employers, individuals, and families on our webpage here.

For more information on UI and Paid Leave employer accounts, visit the Unemployment Insurance website.

Still Have Questions?

If you have a Paid Leave question that isn’t yet answered on our website, please submit your question here.

If you need help with your Paid Leave Only or Joint UI/Paid Leave account, contact the Unemployment Insurance employer helpline.