What employers in Minnesota must do
Checked November 9, 2026From the agencies that run each program
Short answer
Employers in Minnesota must pay most workers at least $11.41 an hour, rising to $11.87 on January 1, 2027.
Minnesota runs a paid leave program, Minnesota Paid Leave, funded by a premium of 0.88% of wages in 2026.
Minnesota employers covered by Minnesota Secure Choice that don’t offer a qualified retirement plan must register by their deadline.
The next employer deadline in Minnesota is December 31, 2026: Registration deadline for employers with 50–99 employees.
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Minnesota requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | In effect | $11.41 an hour for most workers; $11.87 from January 1, 2027 |
| Retirement mandate: Minnesota Secure Choice | In effect | For-profit and nonprofit employers doing business in Minnesota with 5 or more covered employees that don’t sponsor or contribute to a retirement savings plan, and didn’t in the preceding 12 months. Covered employees exclude workers under 18 (as of December 31 of the prior year), temporary or seasonal hires expected to work 180 days or less, government employees, Railway Labor Act workers, and workers covered by a Taft-Hartley multiemployer pension. Businesses that haven’t operated in Minnesota for at least 12 months and government employers are not covered. An employer that first becomes covered after the phase-in must enroll employees during the 21 days starting January 1 of the following year. |
| Paid leave: Minnesota Paid Leave | In effect | Every employer with at least one employee in covered employment in Minnesota (Minn. Stat. 268B.01, subd. 18), including part-time, temporary and agricultural workers, most seasonal workers and owner-officers who draw a salary. An employee is covered if they did at least half of their work in the prior year in Minnesota, or, if they didn’t work half the year in any one state, if they live in Minnesota. Independent contractors and self-employed people aren’t covered but can opt in. Federal government and railroad employees aren’t covered. |
Pay rules Minnesota employers must follow
- Paydays
- At least once every 31 days on a regular payday.
- Final paycheck, fired
- Within 24 hours of the employee’s demand for wages; without a demand, generally by the regular payday. In some circumstances, final wages are due within 24 hours without a demand.
- Final paycheck, quit
- By the next regular payday. If that payday is within 5 days of the last day, by the following payday, but no later than 20 days after leaving.
- Meal breaks
- 30-minute meal break for anyone working 6 or more hours in a row (rule in effect since January 1, 2026).
- Rest breaks
- Rest break of at least 15 minutes (or enough time to use the nearest restroom, if longer) within every 4 hours in a row. Breaks under 20 minutes must be paid.
- Overtime
- Overtime after 48 hours in a week under state law. Employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) must pay overtime after 40 hours.
- New hire reporting
- Within 20 days of hire or rehire, to the Minnesota New Hire Reporting Center
From the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables, checked November 8, 2026.
What changed in Minnesota
· Took effect
Minnesota Paid Leave maximum weekly benefit rises to $1,475.09
Minnesota Paid Leave’s maximum weekly benefit rose from $1,423 to $1,475.09 on October 25, 2026, following the state’s average weekly wage. A worker who first applied before that date keeps the $1,423 maximum for one year from that first application.
· Rate announced
Minnesota Paid Leave premium stays at 0.88% for 2027
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) kept the 2027 Paid Leave premium at 0.88% of wages, the same as 2026. Employers pay at least half and may deduct up to half from employees, on wages up to the Social Security wage base ($192,300 in 2027). Qualifying employers with 30 or fewer employees pay a lower total rate.
Upcoming Minnesota deadlines
· Minimum wage
Minnesota minimum wage rises to $11.87
· Paid leave
Minnesota Paid Leave: Fourth-quarter 2026 wage detail report and premium payment due
January 31 falls on a Sunday, so the due date moves to Monday, February 1.
· Paid leave
Minnesota Paid Leave: Deadline for the state to set the 2028 premium rate
By law the rate can’t exceed 1.1% of taxable wages.
· Paid leave
Minnesota Paid Leave: Second-quarter 2027 wage detail report and premium payment due
July 31 falls on a Saturday, so the due date moves to Monday, August 2.
· Paid leave
Minnesota Paid Leave: Third-quarter 2027 wage detail report and premium payment due
October 31 falls on a Sunday, so the due date moves to Monday, November 1.
· Paid leave
Minnesota Paid Leave: First-quarter 2028 wage detail report and premium payment due
April 30 falls on a Sunday, so the due date moves to Monday, May 1.
· Retirement mandate
Minnesota Secure Choice: The two-year written-warning period ends for 100+ employers that missed the June 30, 2026 deadline
From this date the board may assess penalties, starting at $100 per covered employee (up to $4,000).
Deadline calendar for every state · How to hire your first employee · Employer law changes for 2027 · All states
Sources
- Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
- Minnesota Secure Choice Retirement Program Board
- Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Paid Leave Division
- State Payday Requirements (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- State Minimum Wage Laws, including premium (overtime) pay after designated hours (updated November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Wage claims: pay frequency and final wages, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Meal and rest breaks (updated rules in effect January 1, 2026), Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Overtime, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Reporting Fundamentals, Minnesota New Hire Reporting Center (read Nov 8, 2026)