This May, Governor Walz signed four bills that will impact the benefits Minnesota employers provide to their employees. These bills create two paid leave programs, a state-run retirement program, and expand the coverage obligations of insurers regulated by the State of Minnesota.

Minnesota Earned Safe and Sick Time

Beginning January 1, 2024, employees who work at least 80 hours a year in Minnesota will begin to accrue one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked. Employers may cap an employee’s annual accrual at 48 hours, but employees must be able to accrue up to 80 hours total accrued and unused time that must be carried over from year-to-year unless it is frontloaded. As with other sick and safe time laws, accrued sick leave may be used by an employee:

• To care for their own or a family member’s illness, injury, or health condition or seek a diagnosis, care for, or treatment of such illness, injury, or health condition;
• To seek medical attention related to injury or disability caused by domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking or obtain counseling, legal, or other services related to domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; and
• For reasons related to a public emergency (e.g. a school closure or quarantine order).

Unlike the paid leave laws of many other states, the Minnesota law:

• Requires succeeding employers to honor the original employer’s remaining employees’ accrued but unused leave. This includes employees who were fired by the original employer and...

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