Minnesota Employment Laws for Employers

Minnesota's state minimum wage is $11.41 per hour for all employers. (Minnesota minimum wage law (DOL WHD state minimum wage table, updated July 1, 2026))

“Minnesota Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $11.41”

“Minnesota's minimum-wage rate will be adjusted for inflation Jan. 1, 2026, to $11.41 an hour for all employers in the state.”

dol.gov · dli.mn.gov

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Employers must pay all wages at least once every 31 days on a regular payday, and commissions at least once every three months. (Minnesota payday law (DOL WHD State Payday Requirements, footnote 11))

“Under Minnesota statute, employers are required to pay their employees for all wages including salary, earnings and gratuities at least once every 31 days, and all commissions earned by an employee at least once every three months on a regular payday.”

“(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), every employer must pay all wages, including salary, earnings, and gratuities earned by an employee at least once every 31 days and all commissions earned by an employee at least once every three months, on a regular payday designated in advance by the employer regardless of whether the employee requests payment at longer intervals.”

dol.gov · revisor.mn.gov

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• Accrual: Minnesota earned sick and safe time (ESST): employees accrue at least one hour of paid ESST for every 30 hours worked. (Minn. Stat. § 181.9446)

  “(a) An employee accrues a minimum of one hour of earned sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked up to a maximum of 48 hours of earned sick and safe time in a year.”

  “An employee earns one hour of sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked and can earn a maximum of 48 hours each year unless the employer agrees to a higher amount.”

  revisor.mn.gov · dli.mn.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency

• Accrued balance cap: Unused ESST carries over, but the total accrued balance may be capped at 80 hours (unless the employer agrees to more). (Minn. Stat. § 181.9446)

  “The total amount of accrued but unused earned sick and safe time for an employee must not exceed 80 hours at any time, unless an employer agrees to a higher amount.”

  “Employers must allow each employee to accrue up to at least 48 hours a year, carried over from year to year, until an 80-hour maximum accrual is reached.”

  revisor.mn.gov · dli.mn.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency

• Annual cap: Employers may cap annual ESST accrual at 48 hours a year (more if the employer agrees). (Minn. Stat. § 181.9446)

  “Employees may not accrue more than 48 hours of earned sick and safe time in a year unless the employer agrees to a higher amount.”

  Same official text as quoted above (see the quote; Minnesota DLI, Earned sick and safe time (ESST) · dli.mn.gov).

  revisor.mn.gov · dli.mn.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency

• Effective date: Minnesota's ESST law took effect "Jan. 1, 2024". (Minnesota DLI, FAQs: Earned sick and safe time (ESST))

  “Minnesota’s earned sick and safe time (ESST) law has been in effect since Jan. 1, 2024.”

  “Since Jan. 1, 2024, DLI has worked to ensure awareness of and compliance with Minnesota’s ESST law through”

  dli.mn.gov · dli.mn.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency

• Employee eligibility: Covered employees are those anticipated to work at least 80 hours a year for an employer in Minnesota (not independent contractors); part-time, seasonal and temporary employees are included. (Minnesota DLI, FAQs: Earned sick and safe time (ESST))

  “An employee is anyone who an employer anticipates works at least 80 hours in a year for an employer in Minnesota but does not include independent contractors. Part-time, seasonal and temporary employees are covered under the law.”

  “are anticipated to work at least 80 hours in a year for an employer in Minnesota; and”

  dli.mn.gov · dli.mn.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency

• Employer coverage: Applies to every employer with one or more employees in Minnesota (the federal government excluded); ESST is paid leave for all covered employers. (Minn. Stat. § 181.9445, subd. 6)

  “"Employer" means a person who has one or more employees.”

  “Minnesota law requires employers to provide earned sick and safe time (ESST), a type of paid leave, to workers in the state.”

  revisor.mn.gov · dli.mn.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency

Note: Minneapolis and St. Paul have their own earned sick and safe time ordinances. Employers there must follow whichever requirements are most favorable to the employee, state or city. (Minn. Stat. §§ 181.9445-181.9448; Minnesota DLI earned sick and safe time page)

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Minnesota's common-law public policy claim is narrow (Phipps v. Clark Oil): an employee fired for refusing to participate in an activity the employee in good faith believes violates a state or federal law, rule or regulation may sue; the Supreme Court has declined to recognize a broader claim for any violation of public policy. (Wredberg v. Canvas Health, Inc., No. A24-1897 (Minn. Aug. 12, 2026), citing Phipps v. Clark Oil & Refining Corp., 408 N.W.2d 569, 571 (Minn. 1987); Dukowitz v. Hannon Security Services, 841 N.W.2d 147 (Minn. 2014), No. A11-1481)

“In Phipps v. Clark Oil & Refining Corp., we recognized a narrow common-law cause of action for wrongful discharge based on public policy, even in cases involving at-will employment.”

“In Phipps, we recognized a narrow publicpolicy exception to the employment-at-will rule.”

mn.gov · mn.gov

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In Minnesota, employee handbook provisions can be enforceable as a unilateral employment contract, even when employment is for an indefinite duration. (Hall v. City of Plainview, No. A19-0606 (Minn. Feb. 3, 2021), syllabus, applying Pine River State Bank v. Mettille, 333 N.W.2d 622 (Minn. 1983); Hovind v. Bristol Place Corp., No. 08-597 (D. Minn. Oct. 24, 2008), quoting Pine River State Bank v. Mettille, 333 N.W.2d 622, 626 (Minn. 1983))

“Disclaimer language in an employee handbook did not unambiguously preclude finding an enforceable unilateral employment contract between an employer and an employee that obligates that employer to pay accrued paid time off following the end of the employee’s employment.”

“Under Minnesota law, “where an employment contract is for an indefinite duration, such indefiniteness itself does not preclude handbook provisions on job security from being enforceable, whether they are proffered at the time of the original hiring or later, when the parties have agreed to be bound thereby.””

mn.gov · govinfo.gov

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Minnesota courts have declined to read an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing into employment contracts. (Mandel v. Multiband Corp., No. A15-1133 (Minn. Ct. App. Mar. 28, 2016) (unpublished), citing Hunt v. IBM Mid Am. Emps. Fed. Credit Union, 384 N.W.2d 853, 858 (Minn. 1986); Good v. Ameriprise Financial, Inc., No. 06-CV-1027 (D. Minn. Jan. 18, 2008), citing Hunt v. IBM Mid Am. Employees Fed. Credit Union, 384 N.W.2d 853, 858 (Minn. 1986))

“Minnesota courts have consistently declined to read the implied covenant into employment contracts.”

“See Hunt v. IBM Mid Am. Employees Fed. Credit Union, 384 N.W.2d 853, 858 (Minn. 1986) (under Minnesota law, there is no implied duty of good faith and fair dealing in employment contracts).”

mn.gov · govinfo.gov

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An involuntarily terminated employee may request the reason in writing within 15 working days of termination; the employer must give the truthful reason in writing within 10 working days of receiving the request. (Minn. Stat. § 181.933, subd. 1)

“An employee who has been involuntarily terminated may, within 15 working days following such termination, request in writing that the employer inform the employee of the reason for the termination. Within ten working days following receipt of such request, an employer shall inform the terminated employee in writing of the truthful reason for the termination.”

“An employer must give a truthful reason why an employee was terminated, if requested in writing by the employee within 15 working-days of termination. The employer has 10 working-days from receipt of the request to give a truthful reason in writing for the termination.”

revisor.mn.gov · dli.mn.gov

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