What it can be used for
Own or family member's illness or preventive care, domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking, weather or emergency closures, communicable disease exposure, and bereavement. Source: dli.mn.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
Notice and documentation
Employers may require up to 7 days' notice for foreseeable use. Documentation can be required after more than 2 consecutive scheduled workdays. Source: revisor.mn.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
City and county laws
Minneapolis and St. Paul have their own sick and safe time ordinances. Employers must follow whichever rule is more generous to employees. Source: dli.mn.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
Who is not covered
Independent contractors, volunteer or paid on-call firefighters, certain elected or appointed officials, and farm workers hired for 28 days or less a year. Source: revisor.mn.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
Penalties
Employers owe all unpaid sick time plus an equal amount as liquidated damages; with poor records, 48 hours per year plus an equal amount. Source: revisor.mn.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
Recent changes
New state rules took effect July 6, 2026 (Minn. R. 5200.1201 to 5200.1209), covering the accrual year, advancing leave, documentation and misuse. Source: dli.mn.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
The law and where to check
The law: Minn. Stat. §§ 181.9445 to 181.9448 (opens in a new tab)
The agency: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (opens in a new tab)
What federal law says
No federal law requires private employers to give paid sick leave. Federal contractors must give up to 7 days a year under Executive Order 13706. Source: U.S. Department of Labor↗ (opens in a new tab) Source: U.S. DOL — EO 13706↗ (opens in a new tab)
Paid sick leave checklist for Minnesota employers
A simple order of work, based on the rules above. It is not a legal checklist.
- Check whether your business size is covered by the rule above.
- Set up accrual in your payroll or HR system (or front-load the yearly amount).
- Write a sick leave policy covering accrual, the cap, carryover, notice and documentation.
- Show each employee's balance where your state requires it.
- Check for city or county sick leave laws where your staff work.
- Keep records of time earned and used.
More Minnesota employment law guides
- All Minnesota employment laws
- Minnesota final paycheck law
- Minnesota meal and rest break laws
- Minnesota overtime law
- Minnesota pay frequency law
- Minnesota vacation and PTO payout law
- Minnesota new hire reporting
- Minnesota at-will exceptions
Paid sick leave laws in other states
See every state on one page, or pick a state:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
All official government sources, last checked October 19, 2026.
- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/181.9445
- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/181.9446
- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/181.9448
- https://www.dli.mn.gov/sick-leave
- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/181.9447
- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/177.50
- https://dli.mn.gov/business/employment-practices/faqs-about-earned-sick-and-safe-time-rules
- https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/sickleave
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/sick-leave
Disclaimer: This guide provides general information based on publicly available official sources and is for information only. It is not legal, tax, payroll or employment-law advice and does not guarantee compliance with federal, state or local requirements. Rules can depend on your location, industry, contracts and other circumstances, and laws change. Always check the official source, the relevant government agency or a qualified professional before making a decision. MadyHR.ai accepts no responsibility for any action taken based on this page.
Last checked: . Every rule and source link on this page was checked against the official government source on this date. Laws change, so always open the source link before you act.