Lawmakers in the Land of 10,000 Lakes kept busy this year, enacting and amending a variety of laws affecting Minnesota employers, some of which are already in effect.
This Insight summarizes what’s new and what Minnesota employers must do to comply.
On May 17, 2024, Governor Tim Walz signed a bill amending several provisions of the Minnesota Statutes chapter on employment law, including the law requiring pregnancy accommodations and the Minnesota Pregnancy and Parenting Leave Law (PPL), which guarantees employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, protected leave in conjunction with the birth or adoption of their child and for prenatal care and health conditions related to pregnancy. The amendments were part of the 2024 Omnibus Labor and Industry Policy Bill (“the 2024 Omnibus Bill”) (S.F. 3852, sections 9 through 11) and, as discussed below, significantly broadened employee entitlements and employer obligations.
First, under one amendment that became effective August 1, 2024, employers may no longer deduct time taken off for prenatal care against an employee’s leave entitlement under the PPL. This may have the practical effect of allowing employees to use more than 12 weeks of protected leave for pregnancy-related conditions despite the provision capping protected unpaid leave under the PPL.[1]
Second, effective August 1, 2024, instead of merely making coverage available, Minnesota employers must now maintain coverage under...
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