Paid Leave for Minnesota Workers Begins January 1

Some were curious if seasonal employees like teachers would be able to get paid leave for time periods they already planned to not work.

MOORHEAD, MN (KVRR) – Starting January 1st, Minnesota will be the 13th state in the U.S. to have a paid family and medical leave program.

Paid leave allows for Minnesota workers to take 12 weeks of family leave and 12 weeks of medical leave – capped at 20 weeks in a single year in total.

It’s only partial wage replacement – workers on average will get about two-thirds of their regular pay – but it’s a strong safety net for Minnesotans, especially those intending to have children.

It’s also somewhat confusing, as most big programs are, but especially as it pertains to certain jobs.

Like teaching. Can teachers collect paid leave for the three months or so a year they’re already not working?

Kristin Dehmer, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services for the Moorhead School District, said in part “For school districts, including Moorhead Area Public Schools, the practical impact of this new statewide program is significant. We are still working to understand how the law will affect staffing coverage, substitute availability and budgeting for the upcoming years.”

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, or DEED, will be overseeing the program.

They sought to clear up any confusion in a statement given to KVRR, which reads in part “A teacher can’t simply take leave because it’s the summer – they would need to have a qualifying condition under the law and have this condition certified.”

The program is being funded by a payroll tax deduction of 0.88%, which will be split between employers and employees.

That means the average worker will pay 44 cents for every $100 in taxable wages.