Opinion | The problems with Minnesota’s new paid leave program
Two concerns come up repeatedly: fraud and the strain the law will place on small employers.
By Justin Terch
January 5, 2026 at 9:15AM
In human resources, you spend a lot of time dealing with moments that do not fit neatly into statutes or policy manuals: a serious diagnosis. A complicated pregnancy. A parent who declines faster than expected. These situations arrive without warning, and they are the moments when work and life collide most directly.
From that perspective, most HR professionals agree on something basic: People should not have to choose between caring for themselves or their family and keeping their job. Paid family and medical leave reflects that value, and the goal behind Minnesota’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Act is easy to understand.
The harder question is whether the program, as it will operate in practice, is ready for what comes next.
