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Minnesota’s paid family and medical leave program is getting a bit of a head start.

Officials at the Department of Employment and Economic Development said they will open an application portal for people to apply for extended leaves on Wednesday — a day ahead of schedule. 

Minnesota lawmakers passed the paid leave law in 2023 but 

gave the state agency until this Jan. 1, 2026

Commissioner Matt Varilek said the agency’s preparations allowed for a slightly earlier launch.

“We will not be waiting for the ball to drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve, because I'm proud to say that paid leave is open now. And we invite people to apply starting tomorrow because we are ready,” Varilek said at a news conference on Tuesday.

People can’t actually take the leave until the new year, but officials have been gradually opening application windows to avoid a crush of demand in the early days. 

A few weeks ago, people who had children in 2025 were allowed to apply for leave they can take before a baby’s first birthday in 2026. The agency said more than 7,000 people have signed up for that.

Varilek said the pre-launch signups have provided valuable information about demand and taken some of the pressure off the system once it goes fully live.

“We know from the experience of other states that the largest share of applications you get on day one are not necessarily people that have a medical incident, but rather that eligibility of parents who had a baby in 2025,” Varilek said. “So you can get a lot of load of the system on day one. We have shifted a lot of that load onto December.”

Employers and employees will fund the program through a payroll tax. The state will manage the program. There are people within the agency who will manage disputes between employees and their employers.

 work to care for themselves or loved ones during serious illnesses, in relation to military deployments or around the birth of a child.

Their jobs are protected when they return from leave.

It’s a major benefit expansion given that officials say only a quarter of Minnesota workers had access to at least some level of paid leave through employers prior to this. Some employers could shift their leave benefits into the state program instead.

Legislative Republicans, who opposed the leave plan passed with only DFL votes in 2023, said they expect problems. Rep. Harry Niska, a House GOP leader, said Monday that his caucus will be on the lookout for exploitation by those who claim leave they shouldn’t get.

Leaders in the state’s paid leave office say they have built-in identity verification measures. People requesting the leave must submit certain documentation, including some medical provider certifications about illness or birth certificates in the case of new children. Employers can flag applications if they believe there is leave being improperly sought.

They point out that the system will be run similar to the unemployment insurance program.

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Dana Ferguson

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State officials say they’re opening an application portal on Wednesday for a paid family and medical leave program that launches in 2026.

Ahead of Jan. 1, signups start for Minnesota's new paid family leave program

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