Minnesota Paid Leave

Minnesota Paid Leave (MPL) is launching Jan. 1, 2026.

Passed in 2023, the Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave Act allows workers to take up to 20 weeks of leave in a year with partial wage replacement. Employees will be eligible to use up to 12 weeks for a single qualifying event under family or medical leave and allowed to use up to 8 additional weeks for the other type of leave in a year. Unlike the State's Paid Parental Leave policy, employees are not required to spend their sick leave accruals down to zero before accessing the benefit. Some employers will also allow employees to use their sick leave accruals to "top-off" the wage replacement amount to meet their salary level. The structure of the program is similar to Minnesota's Unemployment Insurance program, but the insurance premium is equally split between the employer and employee unless negotiated otherwise. 

MAPE has been involved in the Minnesotans for Paid Leave campaign for nearly a decade before it was finally enacted into law. Since then, MAPE has worked with other labor unions and community organizations to combat efforts to water down or roll back benefits.   

This is a state program that covers almost everyone in Minnesota who receives W2 wages, and all W2 wages are impacted - including lost time and stipends paid by MAPE. MPL is not a state worker program, new contract language or an employer benefit. We do not have the ability to opt out of the program. Agencies have sent out disclosures required by statute. 
 
MMB just released the new paid leave policy, and we are seeking clarification on some items. More information is coming soon and will be further updated as we know more. This is going to be new for all agencies, and we anticipate they are going to have a learning curve along with everyone else in administering their part of the claims, especially since there is still ambiguity. We also know thousands of claims have already been submitted in anticipation of the Jan. 1 start date. If you anticipate using the program right away, such as childbirth or elective surgeries, please notify your HR office as soon as possible to determine the best way to proceed with required notifications. Start filling out any required forms and documentation now to ensure that your claim is processed in a timely manner. 

The MPL Website has an excellent toolkit with more information.