Emily Atmore Quoted on Intricacies of Minnesota’s New Paid-Leave Law

In an article in Minnesota Lawyer, “Paid family leave law brings major changes for employers,” labor and employment attorney Emily Atmore explains to which employers the Paid Family and Medical Leave law applies and offers considerations for employers to ensure compliance with it.

Effective January 1, 2026, the law allows for up to 20 weeks of paid leave. It imposes new notice, reporting, premium payment, and policy revision requirements, as well as possible fines, penalties, and exposure to retaliation or interference claims for noncompliance.

Atmore has fielded from employers of all types and sizes the question of whether the new law applies to them.

“Smaller employers often do not realize the law applies to nearly all Minnesota employers, unlike other Minnesota employment laws which have exemptions for small employers,” she said. “Multi-state employers are also sometimes surprised to learn that the law applies to all employees who work at least 50% of their time in Minnesota, including remote workers in Minnesota.”