Minnesota's Paid Family and Medical Leave Program - Episode 35

Minnesota’s statewide paid family and medical leave program (PFML) goes into effect January 1, 2026. By the end of 2025, every covered employer must have a compliant PFML policy in place. Is your organization ready? In this episode, Natolie Hochhausen and Adam Brown discuss the history of this legislation and the PFML program’s evolution, compliance deadlines, program mechanics, coverage and application, employee benefits, benefit caps and payment scales, the lack of a small employer exception, compliance options for employers (including opting in to the state’s program, creating your own plan, or purchasing a third-party coverage plan), notice requirements, workplace posters, earned sick and safe time, handbooks, ADA and FMLA overlap, and more. This is a complicated program. Almost every employer in Minnesota is covered, and they will need to make at least some changes to their policies, procedures, handbooks, and more. So, it is time to start working on your organization’s PFML policies now!