Final reminder! As previously reported, Minnesota’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave (“PFML”) law, is effective January 1, 2026 but includes requirements that employers must meet prior to January 1.

The PFML law broadly covers nearly every employer, regardless of business size, revenue or number of employees and covers nearly every employee working or residing in Minnesota. Under PFML, employees can take up to 12 weeks of paid Family Leave or 12 weeks of medical leave in a single benefit year. Employees who need both family and medical leave during a benefit year are eligible to take a combined 20 weeks of leave. Paid leave payments are made by the State directly to the employee and the program is funded through premiums that may split between employers and employees. However, employers must pay at least half of the premium.

PFML will be administered by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and employee rights under the new law will be enforced by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.

The PFML law’s effective date is just around the corner and there are several actions employers must take now:

1. December 1, 2025, Deadline: Notify employees in writing about the PFML program before December 1, get acknowledgements of receipt of the notice from employees by December 1, and hang the required PFML poster in the workplace.
2. Appoint a Paid Leave Administrator to keep track of employees’ leave and to coordinate paid leave with other time off and benefits the employer offers and manage PFML communications and documentation.
3. Open a Paid Leave Administrator account at paidleave.mn.gov.
4. Determine how the PFML premium will be split between the employer and employees.
5. Update employee handbook or other internal policies to address PFML and other leaves offered by the employer.
6. Update any forms which employers use for leave requests to include the PFML.
7. Train human resources and other management staff about this new law and communicate with your employees.

Larkin Hoffman’s labor and employment attorneys are ready to assist employers in drafting compliant PFML policies, updating employee handbooks to reflect any required legal changes, and helping employers with any other legal tasks to ensure compliance with the PFML law.

To learn more about PFML, visit our previous Employment and Labor Law Blog posts linked below:

• Reminder: Minnesota’s Paid Family Leave Law is Coming Soon
• Construction Employers Could Face Workforce Management Challenges Under Minnesota’s New Paid Family and Medical Leave Law

Employers with questions about the PFML law should contact any of Larkin Hoffman’s labor and employment attorneys.