Minnesota paid leave applications open early statewide ahead of Jan. 1 launch
Minnesota is now accepting early statewide applications for its Paid Family and Medical Leave program ahead of the Jan. 1, 2026 launch; workers who earned at least $3,900 last year can apply for parental, medical, caregiving or safety leave that generally replaces 55%–90% of wages (capped at about $1,423/week), with up to 12 weeks per qualifying event, a combined 20‑week annual maximum, intermittent leave allowed, job‑restoration protections after 90 days, and certain exclusions (federal, tribal, seasonal hospitality, contractors, self‑employed, postal/railroad). The program is funded by a 0.88% payroll tax (employers may collect up to ~0.44% from employees starting Jan. 1), applications are filed through a secure LoginMN portal using ID verification and a live selfie and will integrate electronic health records and unemployment data with layered fraud controls and random audits; officials expect about 130,000 users in year one at an estimated $1.6 billion cost administered by roughly 400 state staff.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- Minnesota is accepting early applications statewide for Paid Family and Medical Leave before the program’s Jan. 1, 2026 launch; DEED is already taking parental bonding applications and publications provide step‑by‑step online guidance (account setup, required documents), plus call‑center hours and language‑access information and how early applications interact with payroll deductions.
- Funding: the payroll tax rate is 0.88% overall; employers may collect up to about 0.44% from employees beginning Jan. 1 (employers may also cover the full amount) — e.g., about $4.24/week on a $50,000 salary.
- Eligibility and exclusions: workers must have earned at least $3,900 in the prior year to qualify; excluded categories include federal and tribal employees, seasonal hospitality workers, independent contractors, self‑employed people, and postal and railroad workers.
- Benefit levels and limits: wage replacement generally ranges from 55% to 90% of usual wages with a maximum weekly benefit of $1,423; each leave type (family or medical) is capped at 12 weeks per qualifying event, with a combined annual maximum of 20 weeks, and leave may be taken intermittently.
- Job protection: eligible workers have the right to be restored to the same or an equivalent position after leave; those protections begin 90 days after hire.
- Fraud prevention and program integrity: DEED will use LoginMN identity verification requiring a government ID and a live selfie to deter identity theft and AI impersonation, will integrate electronic health records and require health‑care provider certification for claims, and will leverage unemployment‑insurance data to flag/lock suspected compromised accounts; a data‑analytics team, random audits and a program integrity unit will monitor trends and track linked or complex claims (including multiple caregivers and intermittent leave).
- Program scale and context: planners estimate roughly 130,000 users in year one, an estimated $1.6 billion program cost and about 400 state employees administering it; designers say starting later (as the 13th state) allowed a higher initial rate aimed at long‑term solvency, while other states (e.g., Washington) have faced staffing, payment delays and projected deficits.
đź“Š Relevant Data
In the US, only 13% of workers in the bottom 25% wage quartile have access to paid family leave, compared to 44% in the top 25% wage quartile.
Paid Family and Medical Leave in the United States — Congressional Research Service
26% of Black workers and 23% of Hispanic workers needed or wanted time off for family or medical reasons but could not take it, compared to 13% of White workers.
Paid Family and Medical Leave in the United States — Congressional Research Service
In California's paid family and medical leave program, only 0.00012% of claims were fraudulent in 2019.
Strong Safeguards Are Proven to Prevent Fraud and Abuse in Paid Family and Medical Leave Programs — Minnesota House of Representatives
State paid family and medical leave programs lead to reduced employee turnover and increased workforce participation, particularly among women.
Recent research shows how paid leave impacts women's employment and financial security in the United States — Washington Center for Equitable Growth
A national paid family and medical leave program would reduce poverty rates across communities and diminish poverty gaps among workers.
US Department of Labor announces new research that underscores economic benefits of national paid family and medical leave program — U.S. Department of Labor
đź“° Sources (6)
- Clarifies that most workers will receive between 55% and 90% of their usual wages while on leave, with a maximum weekly benefit of $1,423 (the state average wage).
- Spells out that each leave type (family leave and medical leave) is capped at 12 weeks, with a combined maximum of 20 weeks per year, and that leave can be taken intermittently.
- Restates and emphasizes that employers may collect up to 0.44% of wages from employees to cover the premium, using a concrete example ($4.24/week for a $50,000 salary).
- Provides a clearer list of qualifying events, including safety-related leave for domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking affecting the worker or a family member.
- Explicitly lists excluded worker categories (federal, tribal, seasonal hospitality, independent contractors, self‑employed, postal and railroad workers) and the $3,900 prior‑year earnings requirement.
- Step‑by‑step instructions for how workers can apply for Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave before Jan. 1, 2026 (e.g., online portal URL, account setup, what documents are needed).
- Clarification of which types of leave reasons (parental bonding, medical, caregiving, safety leave, etc.) are available for early applications and which dates of leave can be requested now.
- Additional practical details for Twin Cities residents and employers such as call‑center hours, language access, and how early applications interact with the 0.88% payroll tax deductions starting Jan. 1.
- Eligibility threshold: workers must have earned at least $3,900 in the prior year to qualify for benefits.
- Wage replacement detail: benefits typically replace 55%–90% of regular wages, capped at about $1,423 per week.
- Coverage/exclusions clarified: most Minnesota employees are covered; exclusions listed include federal and tribal employees, seasonal hospitality workers, independent contractors, self‑employed workers, postal and railroad employees.
- Event caps clarified: up to 12 weeks per qualifying family or medical event, with a combined annual maximum of 20 weeks.
- Job protections: restoration to the same or equivalent position; protections begin 90 days after hire.
- Employee premium reminder: employers may collect a 0.44% employee premium starting in January to fund the program.
- DEED says Minnesota’s PFML system is on track and is already accepting early applications for parental bonding leave.
- Minnesota’s payroll tax is set at 0.88% (employers may charge employees up to about half, ~0.44%, or cover all).
- Program architect Greg Norfleet says Minnesota benefits from being the 13th state to launch and started with a higher rate to support long‑term solvency.
- Comparative context: Washington state’s paid leave has faced staffing/payment delays and projected deficits ($346M by 2029; nearly $1B by 2030) under tax‑rate caps trending to 1.2% by 2027.
- DEED detailed layered fraud controls: LoginMN account verification requiring a government ID and a live selfie to deter identity theft and AI-driven impersonation.
- Minnesota will be the first state to integrate electronic health records into its paid leave verification process; all claims must be certified by a health care provider or appropriate professional.
- DEED will leverage unemployment insurance data (with a strong fraud-prevention track record per a 2022 Legislative Auditor report) to flag and lock suspected compromised accounts.
- A data‑analytics team will monitor system-wide trends; the state will conduct random audits of claims.
- Program scale update: about 130,000 expected users in year one at an estimated cost of $1.6 billion, administered by roughly 400 state employees.
- Republican legislators pressed on potential abuse via multiple caregivers and intermittent leave; statute sets no hard cap, but DEED said complex family situations will be reviewed and claim linkages tracked by a program integrity unit.
- Quotes: DEED Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe on 'overlapping controls' and MNIT Deputy Commissioner Jon Eichten on selfies to prevent AI identity scams.