Paid Leave applications now open for new parents

Minnesota Paid Leave is a new state government program starting January 1, 2026 that will offer payments and job protections so people can take time off work for some of life’s most important moments – like welcoming a child, recovering from a serious illness, or caring for a loved one.

Parents who welcomed a child in 2025 can apply for Bonding Leave today.

Leave cannot start until January 1, but completing applications early will give workers and employers time to plan ahead and prepare for the start of Paid Leave. Paid Leave is opening this application early following a successful test with select employer partners and hundreds of applicants to make sure the system works and to improve the experience for all Minnesotans.

Act now: Be prepared when your employees apply for leave

Your employees can now apply for Bonding Leave if they welcomed a child in 2025 and want to take leave in a single block of time, starting in the next 60 days. Leave cannot start before January 1. Employees must inform you before they apply with the state, and you will be asked to review their leave application to confirm work and leave details.

There are important steps you can take to get ready.

What if my employee already took parental leave or FMLA?

Any leave taken before Paid Leave starts on January 1, 2026, does not reduce the amount of time available for Paid Leave.

Once Paid Leave begins, employers may choose to run Paid Leave at the same time as other programs like the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or Minnesota's Pregnancy and Parental Leave Act. If you choose to run these programs concurrently, leave taken under one program would reduce the time available under the other programs for the same leave reason.

If you plan to run these leaves at the same time, you should have an explicit conversation with your employee about this before they go out on leave. You should document this conversation and make this policy clear in your employee handbook.

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