Adopted: December 2025
Revised: February 2026
Download 406.10P - Minnesota Paid Leave
- Overview
District 196 provides time off to eligible employees who qualify for Minnesota Paid Leave (MN Paid Leave) benefits under Minnesota law. District 196 participates in Minnesota’s state MN Paid Leave program, which is administered by the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
- Premiums
2.1 MN Paid Leave benefits are funded through premium contributions payable to the State of Minnesota. The premium cost will be split between District 196 and employee as follows:
2.1.1 District 196 will pay .44% of wages toward the required premium. This amount is subject to a cap set by Social Security’s Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance Program.
2.1.2 Employees will pay .44% of the wages toward the premium cost through payroll deductions.
- Eligibility
3.1 Eligibility determinations for MN Paid Leave benefits are made by the State of Minnesota. Generally, to be eligible for MN Paid Leave, employees must:
3.1.1 Work at least 50% of the time from a location in Minnesota, including employees who work from home or spend time in other states occasionally.
3.1.2 Meet the financial eligibility requirements by having earned over a specific amount of wages as defined under Minnesota law at the time of your requested leave.
- Benefit Amount
Employees’ weekly MN Paid Leave benefit amounts are calculated and determined by DEED.
- Leave Entitlement and Use
5.1 DEED may approve MN Paid Leave for the following conditions in a benefit year:
5.1.1 Up to 12 weeks of medical leave (for the employee) to take care of themselves for a serious health condition, including pregnancy, childbirth, recovery, or surgery.
5.1.2 Up to 12 weeks of family leave to:
5.1.2.1 Bond with a child through birth, adoption, or foster placement.
5.1.2.2 Care for a family member with a serious health condition.
5.1.2.3 Support a military family member called to active duty.
5.1.2.4 Receive covered types of care for yourself or a family member because of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.
5.2 Employees can take both types of leave in the same benefit year, but cannot exceed 20 weeks total within a single benefit year. For example, an employee may be entitled to 12 weeks of family leave to bond with a child and another 8 weeks of medical leave for their serious health condition.
5.3 The benefit year begins the first day the employee takes leave.
5.4 There is no waiting period for MN Paid Leave when an employee is granted the benefit.
- Intermittent Leave
6.1 Employees may apply for intermittent leave when it is reasonable and appropriate to the needs of the individual requiring care.
6.2 Eligibility - Employees seeking intermittent leave must:
6.2.1 Meet all other eligibility requirements for MN Paid Leave.
6.2.2 Have at least eight hours of accumulated leave, unless more than 30 days have passed since the initial leave.
6.3 Notice - Employees requesting intermittent MN Paid Leave must make a reasonable effort to provide written notice to the District 196 Human Resources Department before applying for benefits. The notice must include:
6.3.2 A proposed intermittent leave schedule.
6.3.2 A completed health care provider certification identifying:
6.3.2.1 The necessity of the leave.
6.4.2.2 A reasonable estimate of frequency, duration, and treatment schedule.
6.4 If eligible for intermittent leave, District 196 allows a maximum of 480 hours of intermittent leave during the benefit year. After reaching the maximum amount of allowed intermittent leave, employees may request continuous MN Paid Leave provided the continuous leave does not exceed the maximum amount of MN Paid Leave allowed by law.
6.5 If eligible for intermittent leave, employees may take intermittent leave in increments of one-half day or more.
7. Definitions
7.1 Family member:
7.1.1 Spouse or partner
7.1.2 Child (including biological, adopted, step, or foster children, or a child you raise even if you are not legally related)
7.1.3 Parent or person who raised you
7.1.4 Sibling
7.1.5 Grandchild or grandparent
7.1.6 In-laws (including son, daughter, father, or mother)
7.1.7 Anyone close to you who depends on you like family, even if not related by blood
7.2 Serious health condition: A physical or mental illness, injury, impairment, condition, or substance use disorder. Care for a serious condition may involve evaluation, treatment, inpatient care, recovery, or not being able to perform regular work, attend school, or do regular daily activities. This includes childbirth, conditions related to pregnancy, or surgery.
- Notice
Before starting a MN Paid Leave claim, employees must notify the District 196 Human Resources Department of their intention to take leave.
8.1 If the need is foreseeable, employees shall provide at least 30 days’ notice prior to the start of the leave.
8.2 If the leave is not foreseeable, employees shall still be able to take leave under MN Paid Leave but must notify the District 196 Human Resources Department as soon as practicable.
- How to Apply for Minnesota Paid Leave
After notifying the Human Resources Department, employees may apply for MN Paid Leave via the MN Paid Leave online portal or by calling DEED’s MN Paid Leave office.
- Interaction with Other Laws and Benefits
10.1 MN Paid Leave will run concurrently with any leave and/or wage supplement taken for the same purpose and for which an employee is also eligible under local, state, or federal law, which may include: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and/or Minnesota Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA) pregnancy and parenting leave.
10.2 The special rules for instructional employees that exist in the FMLA do not apply when FMLA and MN Paid Leave run concurrently. See Procedure 406.9P, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), for more information about FMLA and instructional employees.
- Supplementing with Accumulated Leave Benefits
District 196 allows employees using MN Paid Leave benefits to supplement, or "top off," MN Paid Leave benefits with accrued sick leave balances. If an employee chooses to supplement MN Paid Leave benefits in this way, the combined weekly sum of MN Paid Leave benefits and District 196-provided paid sick leave benefits cannot exceed their Individual Average Weekly Wage (IAWW).
- Maintaining Health Coverage During Leave
12.1 Unless the employee revokes coverage while on MN Paid Leave, District 196 will continue to provide group health insurance under the same conditions as before the leave began. Employees must continue to make timely payments of their share of the premiums.
12.2 Group health insurance may be cancelled if an employee’s premium payment is 30 days late. Before terminating coverage, District 196 will:
12.2.1 Provide written notice to the employee at least 15 days before termination.
12.2.2 The notice will include:
12.2.2.1 The final date payment is due (30 days past the due date) to avoid cancellation; and
12.2.2.2 The date coverage will end if payment is not received.
12.3 An employee's share of group health insurance premiums during MN Paid Leave may be paid using one of the following options:
12.3.1 Prepayment: The employee may prepay premiums at or before the start of leave. Payroll deductions can be adjusted to reflect the agreed-upon amounts and schedule.
12.3.2 Periodic Payments: The employee may arrange to submit payment monthly for the duration of the leave.
12.4 Coverage that lapses due to nonpayment of premiums will be reinstated immediately upon return to work without a waiting period.
- Employment Reinstatement
13.1 Upon return from covered MN Paid Leave, employees shall be reinstated to their previous position or to an equivalent position, with the same status, pay, employment benefits, length-of-service credit, and seniority credit as of the date of leave if the employee has worked for District 196 for a minimum of 90 calendar days.
13.2 Upon return to work, if it becomes evident the employee is unable to perform the key essential functions of their position (with or without reasonable accommodation), District 196 may engage in an interactive process, consistent with the American with Disability Act (ADA) and/or Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) and other applicable workplace policies, including workplace safety protocols, to determine appropriate next steps.
- Retaliation
District 196 shall not interfere with or retaliate against employees who request or take leave in accordance with the MN Paid Leave law.
References:
- Minnesota Statues Chapter 268B, Minnesota Paid Leave Law