Minnesota maternity leave and paid family leave
How paid leave works in Minnesota when you have a baby: weeks for pregnancy and bonding, how much it pays in 2026, whether your job is protected, and how to apply.
Checked October 2026 · 14 sources
Short answer
12 wk
of paid leave to bond with your baby
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (Minnesota Paid Leave)
$1,423
the most it pays per week in 2026, a ceiling, not a typical benefit
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (Minnesota Paid Leave)
Apply for paid leave
Claims go to Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (Minnesota Paid Leave). Tell your employer early.
The rules in Minnesota
YesMinnesota Paid Leave (Paid Family and Medical Leave)
| Pregnancy and recovery, typical | Up to 12 weeks of Pregnancy-related Medical Leave, as long as your provider certifies; DEED's examples use 6 weeks of recovery after birth, or 8 weeks after a C-section, followed by 12 weeks of Bonding Leave (up to 20 weeks total). Take the medical leave first, then bonding. |
|---|---|
| Legal maximum, your own health | 12 weeks |
| Bonding with your baby | Up to 12 weeks |
| Medical and family leave combined | Up to 20 weeks a year |
| Pay | 90% of wages up to half the state average weekly wage, 66% of wages between half and 100% of it, and 55% of wages above it; max $1,423/week (the state average weekly wage) in 2026. |
| 2026 weekly maximum | $1,423 (a ceiling, not a typical benefit) |
| Waiting period | None (but except for bonding, a claim must be based on a single qualifying event lasting at least 7 calendar days) |
| Job protection | Yes, in the Paid Leave law: you must be restored to your job or an equivalent position. Job protection generally starts 90 days after your date of hire, but DEED says Pregnancy-related Medical Leave and Bonding Leave are protected no matter how long you've worked there. Retaliation is banned from day one. Federal FMLA, Minnesota's Pregnancy and Parental Leave Act and Earned Sick and Safe Time may add protections and may run at the same time. |
| Who qualifies | You must have earned at least 5.3% of the state's average annual wage in the past year (about $3,900 right now), from one or more Minnesota jobs. Covers nearly all Minnesota workers, including full-time, part-time, temporary and most seasonal workers, at employers of any size. Self-employed people, independent contractors and Tribal Nations can opt in. Federal, postal and railroad workers can't; designated seasonal hospitality jobs are excluded. |
| Paying since | January 1, 2026 |
Checked October 2026. Benefit amounts usually change January 1 and July 1, so confirm with Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (Minnesota Paid Leave) before you plan. Job protection often comes from a different law than the pay; the job protection row says which.
Minnesota Paid Leave started Jan. 1, 2026. Birthing parents need two applications: Pregnancy-related Medical Leave first, then Bonding Leave after medical leave ends. Taking bonding first can cost you the medical weeks if your provider says you've recovered. Each type is capped at 12 weeks, and the total of all types is 20 weeks in a benefit year that starts on the first day of any leave. Bonding must end before the child's first birthday (or 1 year after the baby comes home if hospitalized longer than the parent). Apply up to 60 days before leave starts. DEED's pages still say the max is 'currently $1,423' as of Oct. 9, 2026. Under Minn. Stat. 268B.04 subd. 3(e), a new max (the updated state average weekly wage) applies to leaves established on or after the last Sunday in October (Oct. 25, 2026); no new figure had been announced as of Oct. 9, 2026. Your weekly amount is fixed once your leave is established. Employers can't make you use PTO first. Employers may have an approved equivalent (private) plan. The premium is 0.88% of wages for 2026 and stays the same for 2027.
Sources: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (Minnesota Paid Leave); Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes; National Partnership for Women & Families; Mercer Law & Policy Group. Data as of October 2026.
Questions about maternity leave in Minnesota
How long is maternity leave in Minnesota?
Up to 12 weeks of Pregnancy-related Medical Leave, as long as your provider certifies; DEED's examples use 6 weeks of recovery after birth, or 8 weeks after a C-section, followed by 12 weeks of Bonding Leave (up to 20 weeks total). Take the medical leave first, then bonding. Minnesota Paid Leave (Paid Family and Medical Leave) pays up to 12 weeks to bond with your baby. The legal maximum for your own health condition is 12 weeks, and medical and family leave together are capped at 20 weeks a year.
How much does Minnesota paid family leave pay?
90% of wages up to half the state average weekly wage, 66% of wages between half and 100% of it, and 55% of wages above it; max $1,423/week (the state average weekly wage) in 2026. The weekly maximum in 2026 is $1,423, a ceiling rather than a typical benefit.
Is my job protected while I'm on leave in Minnesota?
Yes, in the Paid Leave law: you must be restored to your job or an equivalent position. Job protection generally starts 90 days after your date of hire, but DEED says Pregnancy-related Medical Leave and Bonding Leave are protected no matter how long you've worked there. Retaliation is banned from day one. Federal FMLA, Minnesota's Pregnancy and Parental Leave Act and Earned Sick and Safe Time may add protections and may run at the same time.
Who qualifies in Minnesota?
You must have earned at least 5.3% of the state's average annual wage in the past year (about $3,900 right now), from one or more Minnesota jobs. Covers nearly all Minnesota workers, including full-time, part-time, temporary and most seasonal workers, at employers of any size. Self-employed people, independent contractors and Tribal Nations can opt in. Federal, postal and railroad workers can't; designated seasonal hospitality jobs are excluded.
How does it work with FMLA?
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives eligible workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for a birth and to care for the newborn, or for their own serious health condition, including pregnancy complications and recovery from childbirth. Health coverage continues during leave, and you return to the same or an equivalent job.
Sources
- 1.Paid Leave for giving birth | Minnesota Paid Leave Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (Minnesota Paid Leave). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 2.How Paid Leave works | Minnesota Paid Leave Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (Minnesota Paid Leave). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 3.Estimate your payments | Minnesota Paid Leave Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (Minnesota Paid Leave). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 4.Common questions | Minnesota Paid Leave Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (Minnesota Paid Leave). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 5.News | Minnesota Paid Leave Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (Minnesota Paid Leave). Accessed October 9, 2026.
Show all 14 sourcesShow fewer sources
- 6.Minn. Stat. 268B.04 Financial eligibility; benefits Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 7.State Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance Laws (chart, April 2026) National Partnership for Women & Families. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 8.State paid family and medical leave contributions and benefits (Feb. 6, 2026) Mercer Law & Policy Group. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 9.29 CFR 825.100 The Family and Medical Leave Act Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 10.29 CFR 825.104 Covered employer Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 11.29 CFR 825.110 Eligible employee Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 12.29 CFR 825.200 Amount of leave Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 13.29 CFR 825.214 Employee right to reinstatement Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 14.Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) U.S. Department of Labor. Accessed October 9, 2026.