What is Minnesota’s Paid Leave Law?
Minnesota’s Paid Leave Law lets you take paid time off from work for certain health and family care reasons.
While you are on Paid Leave:
- Your job cannot punish you for taking time off for certain health or family reasons.
- If you get things like health insurance, retirement, or disability benefits through your job, your job has to keep them active just like if you are still working.
- You have the right to come back to your job or a similar one when your leave is over.
When Does it Start?
You can start getting Paid Leave benefits on January 1, 2026.
Am I Eligible for Paid Leave?
You can get Paid Leave if:
- You work at least half of the time in Minnesota
- You earned 5.3% of the state’s average annual wage in the last year (about $3,700 for 2026). This can be from more than one job.
- Have worked in your current job for at least 90 days
- You need time off for a medical or family reason (listed below) that lasts at least 7 days
It does not matter if you work full time, part time, temporary or seasonally. Your immigration status does not affect your right to Paid Leave.
What Can I Use Paid Leave For?
You can take Medical Leave to:
- Take care of your own serious health problem
You can take Family Leave to:
- Take care of your family member’s serious health problem
- Take care of your child after their birth or adoption
- Support a family member if they are called to active duty in the military
- Deal with a safety issue like domestic violence, abuse, sexual assault, or stalking
What Family Members Can I Take Time Off to Care For?
You can use Paid Leave to care for:
- Your Immediate and Extended Family (including biological, adopted, foster, step, legal wards, or in loco parentis)
- Husband, Wife, or Partner
- Children
- Parents
- Brothers and Sisters
- Grandparents and Grandchildren
- Aunts, Uncles, Nieces and Nephews
- Your In-laws:
- Parents
- Brothers and Sisters
- Other Close People:
- Anyone who is like family to you, even if they are not related by blood or marriage
How Much Time Can I Take Off?
Each year, you can take:
- Up to 12 weeks of Medical Leave
- Up to 12 weeks of Family Leave
If you use both kinds, you can take no more than 20 weeks total in one year.
You can take the time off all at once or a little at a time.
How Much Money Do I Get and How Do I Get Paid?
You will get some of your wages while you are on Paid Leave – between 55% and 90%, depending on how much you usually make:
- If you make up to $686 a week, you get 90% of your pay
- If you make between $686 and $1,372 a week, you get 66% of your pay
- If you make more than $1,372 a week, you get 55% of your pay
The money will come from the State of Minnesota and will be sent to you by direct deposit to your bank account or on a debit card.
If you have other benefits available to you for paid time off, such as vacation, PTO, or a short-term disability policy, those additional benefits may be used to "top off" the Paid Leave wage replacement from the state to get you to 100% of your regular wages.
