Under Senate File 17, clarifications and amendments have been made to the paid sick leave law in Minnesota. Most went into effect on July 1, 2025, with one exception that is slated to go into effect on January 1, 2026.

In effect:

• If an employee uses paid sick leave for 2+ consecutive scheduled workdays, an employer is allowed to require documentation. This shortens the period from three workdays to two. Employers may also require employees to provide notice for needing to take leave as soon as is reasonably required.
• Employers may not require an employee to find or seek a replacement as a condition of using paid sick leave. This effort may be voluntary (such as trading shifts or finding a replacement to cover the shift).

Effective January 1, 2026:

• An employer may advance paid sick leave to employees based on the number of anticipated work hours for the remainder of the accrual year. It is still required to track hours and provide any additional paid sick leave hours if the employee works more than anticipated.

This article is informational and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult with an employment lawyer or accountant for additional clarification on how these changes impact your company.