Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave
Minnesota has enacted a Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Insurance Program, with an effective date of January 1, 2026, for both the collection of contributions for covered individuals and benefit payments.
Guardian will be offering a fully-insured private plan. Details regarding the private plan application process will be forthcoming.
The MN PFML program allows employers to meet their compliance obligations by either choosing to provide coverage through the state plan or a private plan. The private plan may be either self-funded or fully insured through a state-approved insurance carrier. State approval is required.
Considering a private plan? Learn more here.
Starting on January 1, 2026, MN PFML will allow paid time off for the following leaves:
Medical leave for an employee’s own serious health condition
Bonding with a new child
Family care
Care for a family member with a serious health condition
Care for a family member in the military
Qualifying military exigency
Safety leave to address issues of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking against the employee or a covered family member
Job protection: MN PFML coverage is job-protected once the employee has worked 90 days for their employer.
Employees may take leave to care for the following covered family members:
Spouse or domestic partner
Child, including biological, adopted, or foster child, a stepchild, or a child to whom the covered individual stands in loco parentis, is a legal guardian, or is a de facto parent
Parent or legal guardian of the covered individual
Sibling, grandchild, grandparent, or spouse’s grandparent
An individual who has a relationship with the covered individual that creates an expectation and reliance that the covered individual care for the individual, whether or not the covered individual and the individual reside together
For all leaves other than bonding, benefits are based on one qualifying event of at least 7 calendar days. Benefits must be paid retroactively back to day 1 once the employee meets the 7-day requirement.
In one benefit year, eligible individuals will be entitled to a maximum of:
12 weeks of medical leave
12 weeks for any combination of bonding leave, safety leave, family care, or qualifying military exigency
The total combined amount of paid leave an employee can take in one benefit year is 20 weeks.
The paid leave program covers most Minnesota employers with one or more employees, with the following exceptions: employees of the federal government and self-employed individuals who choose to provide their own coverage for themselves.
Employees are eligible if they’ve earned at least 5.3% of the state average annual wage, rounded down to the next lower $100, in the base period.
Note: Seasonal employees — individuals employed for no more than 150 days during any consecutive 52-week period in the hospitality industry — are not eligible for paid leave.
Medical leave for an employee’s own serious health condition
Bonding with a new child
Family care
Care for a family member with a serious health condition
Care for a family member in the military
Qualifying military exigency
Safety leave to address issues of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking against the employee or a covered family member
In one benefit year, eligible individuals will be entitled to a maximum of:
12 weeks of medical leave
12 weeks for any combination of bonding leave, safety leave, family care, or qualifying military exigency.
The total combined amount of paid leave an employee can take in one benefit year is 20 weeks.
Covered individuals will receive a weekly benefit that varies depending on their income, including all of the following:
90% of the employee's average weekly wage that does not exceed 50% of the state average weekly wage (SAWW)
66% of the employee's average weekly wage that exceeds 50% of the SAWW but not 100%
55% of the employee’s average weekly wage that exceeds 100% of the SAWW
The maximum weekly benefit is 100% of the SAWW.
MN PFML may be funded by employee and employer contributions. Payroll deductions may start on January 1, 2026.
Contributions can be split 50/50 between the employee and the employer through payroll deduction, or the employer can choose to fund on behalf of their employees.
Paid Family and Medical Leave – 0.7% of wages
Paid Medical Leave only – 0.4% of wages
All leaves other than Paid Medical Leave – 0.3% of wages
Wages are capped at the Social Security Wage Base.
Under the state plan, a reduced rate may apply for some employers with fewer than 30 employees.
The MN Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) reserves the right to change the state rate before the program goes live. After January 1, 2026, the rate may be adjusted next on July 31, 2026, and then each July 31 thereafter.
Minnesota Paid Leave, a division of DEED, is working with the Minnesota Department of Commerce on a process to allow approved private plans. The benefits for covered employees must be equivalent to or greater than the benefits provided by the MN PFML program.
By December 2025, employers must inform their employees about their rights and benefits under this new program. Minnesota Paid Leave will provide written materials, workplace notice posters, and other informational materials that employers can use to meet their requirements.
Guardian is developing a private plan option to assist covered employers in meeting their obligation to provide Minnesota PFML coverage.
Our product offering will be fully insured, state-approved, and competitively priced. Plus, our digital capabilities can make administration easier — with online claims submission and access to bills, policies, and reports.
You can count on:
Dedicated support to file a private plan exemption with the state
Assistance with adjusting Short Term Disability (STD) and Long Term Disability (LTD) plan designs to integrate with a PFML plan
A single point-of-contact for disability and/or paid leave claims inquiries
Experienced claims management by tenured professionals, including safe and effective return to work support
Updates on new regulations and ongoing guidance to keep you compliant
Effective employee leave management is key to ensuring your business remains compliant with state laws, helping you avoid costly fines.
Guardian has provided employers with statutory disability plans for more than a decade, taking a consultative approach to bring resources together for successful PFML plan implementation and management, no matter the level of complexity. Our management of PFML plans helps ensure that any human resources team can meet the challenge of efficiently managing employee leaves while helping to ease administrative burden and enhancing compliance. Our plans are fully insured, state-approved, and backed by digital capabilities designed to help make administration easier.
Further, our Guardian absence management solutions can help reduce the administrative burden and enhance compliance with the integrated management of STD and LTD benefits, state and federal family medical leaves, and company leaves. Available to companies with 50 or more employees, employers can choose from a variety of plans and service options, including ADA support.