Officials say Minnesota’s paid leave rollout is ‘running smoothly’ as thousands apply
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Nearly 12,000 people have applied for paid family and medical leave in the ramp up by the first couple days of the program’s rollout.
That’s according to data from the Department of Employment and Economic Development released midday on Friday. The program went live a day ahead of schedule on Wednesday, and officials running it said it’s gone off without a hitch so far.
Three-quarters of Minnesota workers are expected to receive more benefits than they had previously under the state program. It will likely be a big political talking point ahead of the 2026 election.
What can be gleaned from the early paid leave signups?
Most of the nearly 12,000 applications came in ahead of the formal program launch this week because a couple large employers were used as kind of a test drive last month. Then, DEED did a soft launch for parents who welcomed babies in 2025 in an effort to stave off a baby bump in signups this week.
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As of Friday, about half of those applications had been processed by state officials to determine whether they were approved, denied or needing additional information.
“Just big picture: Applications are coming in as expected. The online portal is running smoothly,” said DEED Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe. “Performance is strong. There's no latency or anything like that. People have been able to submit applications."
What are the basics of the program?
Minnesota is among 13 states to adopt a paid family and medical leave program. But Minnesota’s is one of the more expansive efforts out there.
People who have a child or adopt one can qualify for up to 12 weeks of partially paid time off for bonding. Same goes for those dealing with a major medical issue or serving as a caregiver for someone who is. The most a person can qualify for in one year across the categories is 20 weeks.
That partial pay depends on income, with those making lower wages able to recover a bigger percentage of their normal paycheck. The most someone can qualify for is about $1,400 per week in wage replacement.
Are more applications on the horizon?
DEED has run the numbers and expects to approve about 130,000 leave claims of all kinds during this first year. Officials anticipated a lot of applications from people who had a baby in 2025, many racing to get parental leave in before that child’s first birthday.
“We're not seeing anything at this point that's out of whack with the projections. Obviously, it's something we're going to be monitoring very closely and carefully and we'll certainly be reporting on those outcomes,” Rowe said. “But we're not seeing anything at this point that says we're misaligned with where we thought we would be at this point.”
How long will it take to hear back about an application?
State law requires the office to adjudicate applications within 14 days but officials said they’d been able to keep turn around time closer to one week during the soft launch phase ahead of Jan. 1. They say that could be slightly longer as they work through a pile of applications submitted this week.
What have business owners and other employers said about the program?
There are those who like having a state leave program and those who adamantly oppose it. Some small business owners say it could help them compete in the labor pool because they couldn’t afford to offer the leave that bigger employers have already provided.
But there are companies that worry about losing workers for long periods and having to backfill those hours or tasks. Some also say it interferes with the employer-employee relationship because a state agency will have the final say over a person’s leave application.
The program is also funded through a payroll tax split between companies and their workers. It’s less than one percent overall, but it’s still an added cost.
What are the political stakes as this sets in?
Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz, devoted a lot of political capital getting the program enacted. It was adopted in 2023 with only DFL votes.
While those receiving leave benefits might like it, those who pay in but don’t take leave might have a different take.
Then there’s the launch itself: These types of major new programs reliant on new technology or data collection haven’t always gone smoothly. Walz and his team put in a lot of time getting this ready and are hoping for a clean takeoff.
Republicans, meanwhile, have pointed to the new tax as a burden. They also say they’ll be on the lookout for people trying to claim leave they shouldn’t get. They have suggested it is vulnerable to fraud — a big issue of the moment.
DEED officials said there are safeguards in place to prevent exploitation. That includes requirements for applicants to submit medical provider certification. There are also identity verification steps included in the program’s anti-fraud measures.
“Maintaining high program integrity is critically important, even as we balance accessibility for users and transparency and efficiency for employers,” DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said. “Through multiple layers, we are actively preventing intended misuse of the program.”
