Additional Changes to Labor and Employment Laws in Minnesota

In addition to a ban on new noncompete agreements, Minnesota has enacted a number of new laws that affect employees and employers. Here are some of the important changes that employers should be aware of:

• Employers are now required to provide paid sick and safe time to nearly all Minnesota employees, including temporary and seasonal employees. Employees accrue one hour of sick time for every thirty hours worked, up to a maximum of forty-eight hours per year. Employees can carry over unused time to the next year, but employers may cap the total hours at eighty. Employers can also choose to provide sick time up front rather than wait for the employee to earn the time.
• Protections for nursing parents have been expanded. An employer must allow lactating employees reasonable breaks to express milk beyond the first twelve months. Before, an employer was only required to give lactation breaks for the first twelve months. Now, employers must provide reasonable breaks for as long as the employee continues to lactate. The new law also eliminates the provision that allows employers to deny breaks if taking a break would unduly disrupt operations. Now, the employer must agree to reasonable break requests.
• The number of companies required to give parental leave has also expanded. While the law previously only required companies with twenty-one or more employees to give twelve weeks of parental leave, now all employees must grant leave. Companies are only required to give unpaid leave.
• Starting in 2026, Minnesota employees will be able to take up to twenty weeks of paid family and/or medical leave per year.

Employers, particularly small companies, should revise their handbooks to reflect the new laws, and should take the opportunity to see what other changes should be made to improve compliance and employee relationships. The attorneys at Smith Jadin Johnson are available to assist with revisions and to answer any questions you may have.