Last updated: 2026-09-21.
Statewide MandateHow Minnesota's real statutory thresholds apply to specific employer profiles. Each section re-frames the state law above for one audience — the underlying figures never change, only the lens does.
For employers with fewer than 15 employees: Minnesota requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 4 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington. Source: https://www.dli.mn.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "1 employee". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For employers with 50 or more employees: Minnesota requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 4 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington. Source: https://www.dli.mn.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "1 employee". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant, café, and food-service operators: Minnesota requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 4 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington. Source: https://www.dli.mn.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including restaurants & food service, use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours/year (or 80 if no other PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores, shops, and chains: Minnesota requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 4 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington. Source: https://www.dli.mn.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including retail employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours/year (or 80 if no other PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics, hospitals, and healthcare staffing: Minnesota requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 4 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington. Source: https://www.dli.mn.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including healthcare employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours/year (or 80 if no other PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hr teams onboarding new employees: Minnesota requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 4 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington. Source: https://www.dli.mn.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "1 employee". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant and food-service operators with fewer than 15 employees: Minnesota requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 4 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington. Source: https://www.dli.mn.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small restaurants (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours/year (or 80 if no other PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant groups and chains with 50 or more employees: Minnesota requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 4 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington. Source: https://www.dli.mn.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large restaurants & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours/year (or 80 if no other PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores and shops with fewer than 15 employees: Minnesota requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 4 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington. Source: https://www.dli.mn.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small retail (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours/year (or 80 if no other PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail chains with 50 or more employees: Minnesota requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 4 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington. Source: https://www.dli.mn.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large retail & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours/year (or 80 if no other PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics and healthcare practices with fewer than 15 employees: Minnesota requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 4 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington. Source: https://www.dli.mn.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small healthcare (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours/year (or 80 if no other PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hospitals and healthcare systems with 50 or more employees: Minnesota requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 4 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington. Source: https://www.dli.mn.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large healthcare systems (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours/year (or 80 if no other PTO). Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Statewide mandate | Yes |
| Employer threshold | 1 employee |
| Accrual rate | 1 hour per 30 hours worked |
| Max accrual / year | 48 hours/year (or 80 if no other PTO) |
| Paid or unpaid | paid |
| Carryover | Yes |
| Qualified reasons | Own/family illness, preventive care, safety. |
| Effective date | Jan 1, 2024 |
| Official source | https://www.dli.mn.gov/ ↗ |
These cities/counties in Minnesota have their own sick leave rules that may exceed the state standard. Each links to a dedicated page with the full local breakdown.
| Locality | Employer threshold | Accrual | Max | Paid/Unpaid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours | 48 hours/year | paid |
| St. Paul | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours | 48 hours/year | paid |
| Duluth | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours | 48 hours/year | paid |
| Bloomington | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours | 48 hours/year | paid |
As in every state, there is no federal paid sick-leave mandate for private employers — the FFCRA expired and the Healthy Families Act has not passed. The federal FMLA is unpaid, limited to employers with 50 or more employees and serious health conditions. Minnesota's Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST, Minn. Stat. §§ 181.9445–181.9448, effective Jan 1, 2024) applies to all employers regardless of size, pays for the leave, and covers safe-time reasons (victims of domestic violence, etc.) with no federal analog. Separately, Minnesota's new Paid Family and Medical Leave program (effective Jan 1, 2026) adds a statewide insurance-based wage-replacement benefit on top of ESST — again with no federal equivalent.
Minnesota's ESST is among the most generous in the region. It applies to all employers (no size threshold), accrues 1 hr/30 hrs, and lets employees carry over up to 80 hours. Neighboring Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota have no statewide paid sick-leave law; South Dakota notably rejected a paid-leave ballot measure. Within the Upper Midwest, only Illinois (any-reason, 1 hr/40 hrs) is comparable, and Illinois's accrual is slower. Minnesota's pre-existing city ordinances (Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington) match the state floor, so employers there see little change. The bigger 2026 development is the new state PFML insurance program, which neighbors lack.
| Year | Change |
|---|---|
| 2023 (eff. Jan 1, 2024) | Earned Sick and Safe Time enacted (HF 1009 / Minn. Stat. §§ 181.9445–181.9448); all employers must provide paid sick & safe time, 1 hr/30 hrs, up to 48 hrs/yr (80 if no other PTO), carryover up to 80 hrs. |
| 2025 | DLI enforcement recovered substantial back wages (over $432,000) and tens of thousands of hours of leave in ESST matters; HF 1325 added a first-offense cure period (see penalties). |
| 2026 (eff. Jan 1, 2026) | Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave launches — up to 12 weeks family + 12 weeks medical, capped at 20 weeks/yr of partially wage-replaced leave, funded by payroll contributions. |
Employers in Minnesota most often trip on the items below. Amounts are typical statutory ranges — confirm the current figure with the state labor department before acting.
| Violation | Typical penalty / fine | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Failing to provide ESST or denying its use | The Dept. of Labor and Industry (DLI) can order restitution of denied leave (paid at the employee's rate) and assess civil penalties; employees may also recover through a private action. Amounts are set by DLI rule — confirm current figures with DLI. | In a recent enforcement year DLI reported ordering restitution of tens of thousands of hours and over $432,000 in owed wages. |
| First violation cure period (HF 1325) | An employer that voluntarily fixes a first ESST violation within the set window before Jan 1, 2026 faced no monetary penalty; after that date the cure period no longer shields first offenses. | Designed to give good-faith employers a chance to correct policy errors. |
| Retaliation | Prohibited; employees may recover back pay, reinstatement, and damages. | Common missteps: 'use-it-or-lose-it' policies violating carryover, and requiring disclosure of the reason for leave. |
Use the button below to print or save a one-page compliance summary for Minnesota. It includes the state law table and any local ordinances above.
Yes. Minnesota requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. Accrual is 1 hour per 30 hours worked, capped at 48 hours/year (or 80 if no other PTO), with carryover Yes.
Employees accrue 1 hour per 30 hours worked. The max accrual is 48 hours/year (or 80 if no other PTO).
4 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Bloomington.
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