Paternity Leave in Minnesota: New in 2026, Up to 12 Weeks

Minnesota Paid Leave started paying on January 1, 2026, so if your baby is due this year or next, you’re among the first dads to use it. Good timing on your part. Take the credit.

It’s a generous program: up to 12 weeks, any size employer, part-time workers included. Here’s how paternity leave in Minnesota works, and the one deadline that catches people out.

Do you qualify for paternity leave in Minnesota?

Most likely. Minnesota Paid Leave covers workers no matter the size of the employer or how many hours you work. To get paid, you need to have earned $3,900 in Minnesota in the last year. Wages from more than one job count.

Each parent qualifies on their own, so this is your leave, not a share of hers. Self-employed workers and independent contractors aren’t covered automatically but can opt in.

Is your job protected during paternity leave in Minnesota?

Yes. Job protection normally kicks in 90 days after you’re hired. For bonding leave, the state says your job is protected no matter how long you’ve been there. Minnesota’s parenting leave law has covered new parents from day one since 2023.

Not sure how to bring it up at work? Our guide on how to ask for paternity leave has a script.

How much is paid family leave in Minnesota, and for how long?

Paid Leave pays up to 90 percent of your wages, with lower earners getting the higher percentage. Most people get between 55 and 90 percent. The maximum in 2026 is $1,423 a week.

Each parent gets up to 12 weeks of bonding leave, to use in the baby’s first 12 months. Take it in one block or in pieces. Your benefit year starts the week your leave does, not on January 1.

You’ve already paid for it, by the way: your employer can deduct up to 0.44 percent of your wages for the program. Consider it a subscription you’re finally using.

How to file a paid family leave claim in Minnesota

You apply online with Minnesota Paid Leave, part of the state’s employment department.

1. Tell your employer first, at least 30 days ahead.
2. Apply up to 60 days before your leave starts. Do it before your leave, not after. This is the trap: your application only counts from the Sunday of the week you file, and backdating is limited to one week. File late and you lose the weeks in between.
3. Upload proof of the birth, like the birth certificate, within 14 days of applying, or as soon as you have it.
4. Questions? Call the Paid Leave contact center at 651-556-7777 or 844-556-0444.

Set a reminder for two weeks before the due date. Babies don’t wait for paperwork, and neither does the Sunday rule.

What does your employer have to do?

• Give you your job back, or an equivalent one, when your leave ends.
• Keep paying its share of your health insurance while you’re out. Adding the baby to the plan is a separate step with its own short deadline.
• Not punish you for applying for or using Paid Leave, and not touch your payments. If they do, the Department of Labor and Industry handles complaints.

Minnesota paid family leave deadlines

• 30 days before your leave: tell your employer. If the baby comes early, tell them as soon as you can.
• Up to 60 days before your leave: apply. Before your first day off is the safe bet.
• Within 14 days of applying: send any missing documents.
• Within 30 days of the birth: add the baby to your health plan. Federal rules give you at least 30 days.
• Baby’s first birthday: all bonding leave has to be used by then.

Before you lock in dates, take our free paternity leave HR questions to HR and write the answers down. Rather ask by email? Our free HR email template is ready to copy: fill in the blanks and hit send.

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General information, not legal or financial advice. Minnesota Paid Leave is new and the figures change every year. Check with HR and paidleave.mn.gov before you plan dates.

Sources: Minnesota Paid Leave workplace poster, bonding leave, Minnesota Statutes 268B.04, US Department of Labor.