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CITY OF SAINT PAUL MINNESOTA PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE POLICY
Effective Date: January 1, 2026
1. STATEMENT OF POLICY:
In accordance with the State of Minnesota’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Act, the City of Saint Paul will grant paid family and medical leave (PFML) to eligible City employees for up to twelve (12) weeks per continuous twelve (12) month period for a qualifying reason under (A) Medical Leave or (B) Family Leave; or for up to twenty (20) combined weeks per continuous twelve (12) month period for qualifying reasons under both (A) and (B). Qualifying reasons will be honored as required under Minnesota law, which include:
- Medical Leave
For the employee’s own serious health condition which makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the employee’s job. This includes pregnancy, childbirth, and recovery.
B. Family Leave:
- Bonding time following the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child;
- A qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that an employee’s family member is on active duty or called to active duty status in support of a contingency operation as a member of the National Guard or Reserves.
- For the employee’s absence due to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking of the employee or employee’s family member provided the leave is to:
- Seek medical attention related to the physical injury or disability caused by domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking;
- Obtain services from a victim services organization;
- Obtain psychological or other counseling;
- Seek relocation due to the domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking:
- Seek legal advice or take legal action, including preparing for or participating in any civil or criminal legal proceeding related to, or resulting from, the domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.
- To care for a family member of the employee if such family member has a serious health condition. Qualifying relationships are limited to those covered under Minnesota Paid Family Medical Leave, which include:
Spouse or domestic partner
Child (biological, adopted, foster, stepchild, of employee or employee's domestic partner, or child of employee in loco parentis)
Parent (biological, adopted, foster, stepparent, parent-in-law), guardian, de facto custodian, or person who was in loco parentis when employee was a child
Sibling
Grandparent or spouse’s grandparent
Grandchild
Son-in-law or daughter-in-law
Any individual who has an expectation of care from the employee without compensation, whether or not they reside with the employee
2. DEFINITIONS:
“Twelve (12) Month Period” means a rolling 12-month period measured backward from the date leave is taken and continuous with each additional leave day taken.
“Serious Health Condition” is recognized by this policy as defined under MN Stat. 268B and means a physical or mental illness, injury, impairment, or substance use disorder that involves:
- Inpatient care; or
- Continuing treatment by a health care provider for a chronic or long-term health condition
3. COVERAGE AND ELIGIBILITY:
Covered employees include full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers who have earned at least 5.3% of the statewide average annual wage in the past year and who perform at least 50% of their work from a location in Minnesota or who live in Minnesota at least 50% of the time and perform some of their work in Minnesota. If eligibility requirements change under Minnesota law, this policy will follow those eligibility requirements.
To qualify for PFML, the leave must be or have been based on a single event of at least seven calendar days' duration related to medical care related to pregnancy, family care, a qualifying exigency, safety leave, or the applicant's serious health condition. The days must be consecutive, unless the leave is intermittent. Benefits related to bonding leave need not meet the seven-day qualifying event requirement.
4. NOTICE REQUIREMENT:
An employee is required to provide the City at least a thirty (30) day notice in the event of a foreseeable leave and may request leave as early as sixty (60) days prior. In unexpected or unforeseeable situations, an employee should provide as much notice as is practicable. Once an employee recognizes a need for leave and would like to request PFML, to ensure coverage, the employee must:
- Complete a “Request for Family/Medical Leave” form and submit it to the Office of Human Resources.
- Contact the State of Minnesota Contact Center at 651-556-7777 or 844-556-0444 (toll free) to apply for Paid Family Medical Leave as the City’s Paid Family Medical Leave administrator.
- Contact the City’s FMLA leave administrator, The Standard, at 866-756-8116, and submit requested documentation.
5. CERTIFICATIONS:
For all leaves, the employee must complete the applicable certification form and return it to the designated leave administrator for approval.
All documentation related to the employee’s or family member’s condition will be held in strict confidence and maintained in the employee’s medical records file.
6. JOB PROTECTION:
Under Minnesota statute, job protection is available to qualified City employees who have been employed at least 90 days, although a new employee may still be eligible for PFML without job protection, dependent upon prior employment history.
If the employee returns to work following the approved leave period, the employee will be reinstated to the employee’s former position or an equivalent position with equivalent pay, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment.
The employee’s restoration rights are the same as they would have been had the employee not been on leave. Thus, if the employee’s position would have been eliminated or the employee would have been terminated but for the leave, the employee would not have the right to be reinstated upon return from leave.
7. INTERMITTENT OR REDUCED LEAVE:
PFML may be continuous or intermittent as required by Minnesota law.
If “medically beneficial,” due to the serious medical condition of the employee or that of the employee’s covered relative, leave may be taken on an intermittent schedule. If leave is requested on this basis, however, the employee may be required, in accordance with applicable law, to have job duties changed or reduced, or to transfer temporarily to an alternative position with equivalent pay and benefits which better accommodates recurring periods of absence or a part-time schedule until leave usage has been reduced or concluded.
Employees with intermittent leave who are unable to give prior notice should follow call-out or reporting procedures per department policy and/or their collective bargaining agreement.
The City will cap intermittent leave at the maximum allowable by law, which is 480 hours in a 12-month period. Once the maximum amount of intermittent leave has been met, any additional qualifying leave must be taken continuously.
Intermittent leave may be taken in increments of at least 15 minutes.
8. PAY DURING PFML:
Employees must apply and be approved directly with the State of Minnesota, to receive payment from the State of Minnesota during qualifying PFML. PFML offers partial wage replacement. PFML will pay a percentage of wages based on the employee’s income level calculated by the State of Minnesota.
Employees using PFML for the birth, adoption or placement in foster care of a child will receive paid parental leave in accordance with the City’s Paid Parental Leave Policy or their collective bargaining agreement, if eligible, though any period of City Paid Parental Leave will not extend the employee’s total length of leave under PFML.
Employees may use short-term disability (if eligible). If an employee is enrolled in short-term disability and/or Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave, their pay will be coordinated with the short-term disability and/or Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave vendor or administrator, if applicable, so that it does not exceed 100% of their gross pay.
If an employee is eligible for Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave, the City may not require the supplementation of accrued sick, compensatory, and/or vacation time per state statute to cover any unpaid time, but the employee may choose to do so. It is the employee’s responsibility to communicate with their supervisor and payroll if they would like to use paid leave accruals to “top off” PFML payments while on leave.
PFML shall run concurrently with other federal and state qualifying leaves, leaves under City of Saint Paul Civil Service Rules, other City policy leaves, and leaves identified in collective bargaining agreements, except where prohibited by law or contractual language.
Employees collecting workers’ compensation benefits are not eligible for PFML payments from the state.
9. BENEFITS COVERAGE:
An employee qualified for PFML will continue to be covered under the City’s group health insurance plan, life insurance plan, and long-term disability plan under the same conditions that coverage would have been provided if the employee had been continuously employed during the leave period.
Employee insurance premium contributions will continue to be deducted from their paycheck as long as they are receiving pay through sick, vacation, compensatory time, and/or paid parental leave. Should an employee exhaust, or choose not to use, City-paid accruals, the employee contribution will be billed directly to the employee by the City benefits administrator. Employee contribution amounts are subject to any change in rates that occurs while the employee is on leave. If an employee’s contribution is not paid by the due date on the bill the employee’s coverage will lapse.
An employee is not entitled to seniority or benefit accrual (such as vacation and sick leave) during periods of unpaid leave but will not lose anything accrued prior to leave.
To apply for PFML, or to request further information, please reach the Minnesota Paid Leave Contact Center at 651-556-7777 or 844-556-0444 (toll free).
10. PAYROLL TAX
Beginning January 1, 2026, the State will implement a payroll tax for Minnesota paid leave. The City will pay the required 50% employer contribution. The employee will pay the remainder via payroll deduction.
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Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)
Employee Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)PFML BASICS
What is Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML, also known as Minnesota Paid Leave or MPL)?
Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave is a state-run program that provides payments and job protections when people need to care for themselves or their loved ones. You can apply for leave when you have a qualifying life event, like a serious medical condition or welcoming a new child. If your application is approved, the State will pay you a portion of your usual wages during your leave and your job will be protected while you are away from work.
When does the new PFML law take effect?
Paid Leave benefits will be available starting January 1, 2026.
Where does the money for PFML payments come from?
The program is funded through a payroll tax that is split between employers and employees.
Your paycheck will start showing deductions in January 2026.
Do I have to pay the tax even if I don’t qualify?
With very limited exceptions, you still have to pay the tax while working with the City, even if you don’t qualify for PFML at this immediate time.
What’s the difference between FMLA and PFML?
FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) is a longstanding federal law that offers unpaid time off and job protection for employees who need to take leave for themselves or others due to a serious medical condition. PFML is a new Minnesota state program that offers paid time off and job protection for employees to take leave for themselves or others due to a serious medical condition. The qualifications for Minnesota’s PFML are broader and the protections are more extensive than under FMLA.
The majority of the time, if you qualify for both, your FMLA and PFML leaves will run concurrently.
QUALIFYING FOR PFML
Who is eligible for PFML?
To qualify, you must have:
• Earned at least $3,900 in the last year, which is about 5.3% of the state's average annual wage. This amount can come from one job or be combined from multiple jobs.
• Experienced a qualifying event lasting at least seven days.
• Worked at least 50% of the time from a location in Minnesota OR worked less than 50% of the time in Minnesota but live at least 50% of the time in Minnesota.What medical situations are covered?
You can take Paid Leave to:
• Care for your own serious health condition
• Bond with a child
• Care for a loved one who has a serious health condition
• Support a family member called to active duty
• Respond to certain personal safety issues
All Paid Leave applications will require certification, which is a document from a healthcare provider or a service provider that supports your need for leave
What relatives are covered?
Under PFML leave, a family member can include:
•Spouse or partner
• Child (including biological, adopted, step, or foster children, or a child you raise even if you are not legally related)
• Parent or person who raised you
• Sibling
• Grandchild or grandparent
• In-laws (including son, daughter, father, or mother)
• Anyone close to you who depends on you like family, even if not related by blood
In your application, you will provide information on your relationship to the person you'll care for on family leave.
Who determines if I am qualified for PFML?
Once you apply for PFML, the State will review your documentation and let you and the City know if you are approved.I read that seasonal employees are ineligible for PFML. Is that true?
The PFML statute defines “seasonal” employees differently from the City, referencing employees who work in the hospitality industry. City employees are not considered “seasonal” under PFML and are eligible to apply.Is it true that if I welcomed (through birth, adoption, or fostering) a child in 2025 I will qualify for an additional 12 weeks of bonding time in 2026? What if I've already used City Paid Parental Leave?
Eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of bonding leave in 2026 as long as it is within the first 12 months of welcoming a child, even if FMLA leave was already exhausted in 2025. For example, if you welcomed a child on July 1, 2025, you would be able to take off up to 12 weeks of bonding leave between January 1, 2026 and June 30, 2026. If you welcomed a child on February 1, 2025, you would only be eligible to take leave from January 1, 2026 through January 31, 2026 because the 12-month window will be up on February 1, 2026. Whether or not you already used PPL under your collective bargaining agreement (union contract), you can still qualify for PFML bonding time under the State. However, you will not receive additional Paid Parental Leave under your collective bargaining agreement or City policy.APPLYING FOR PFML
When and how can I apply for PFML?
You can begin applying for PFML with the State on January 1, 2026. https://pl.mn.gov/individuals/get-ready-apply
Prior to filling out the state’s application, you must notify the City as your employer. You can fill out the City notification form (to be posted in December) and then fill out the state application.
How much notice do I have to give before taking time off under PFML?
Foreseeable leave requests should be requested at least 30 or as much as 60 days ahead of time. Unforeseeable requests should be made as soon as practicable.
What if I need time off and choose not to apply for PFML?
If you choose not to apply for and collect PFML payments from the State, but you take a leave that would otherwise qualify for PFML, your time off can still count against your annual total.
USING PFML
How much time off can I take?
In a single benefit year, you can take a maximum of:
• Up to 12 weeks of medical leave for your own serious health condition; or
• Up to 12 weeks of family leave
o to care for a loved one;
o bond with a new child;
o your own safety; or
o for military family leave
If you need both family and medical leave during a benefit year, you can take up to 20 weeks of total combined leave.
A benefit year is a 52-week period that starts on the first day you are absent from work for a qualified reason.
Can PFML be used intermittently?
Yes. You can take leave in a single block of time (continuous leave) or a in smaller blocks of time (intermittent leave). This flexibility is built into Paid Leave to fit different needs.
For example,
• If you have a surgery and need to be completely off of work for 6 weeks, that's a continuous leave.
• If you have a chronic condition or a family member who needs transportation to recurring treatments, you might only need to take a day or a few hours off each week. That's intermittent leave.
You should discuss what leave schedule you might need with the health care provider or other professional certifying your leave.
You may take up to a maximum 480 hours of intermittent leave in a year under City policy. Additional qualifying leave may be taken continuously up to the 20-week total.
If I am using PFML intermittently, who do I have to notify when I am using my leave?
If you are taking PFML intermittently, you need to notify for each block of time:
• Your supervisor; and
• The State as PFML administrator; and
• The Standard as the City’s FMLA administrator (if approved)
Notifying each entity is necessary to ensure that you are paid appropriately and that your job is protected for the entirety of your leave.
What do I put on my timesheet if I’m using PFML?
You will receive instructions from your HR Liaison and/or supervisor.
Do I get to keep my job when using PFML?
Yes, PFML offers job protections after 90 calendar days from the date of hire. This means that if you qualify, your employer must return you to your same job (or an equivalent one with the same pay, benefits, and work conditions) after your leave ends.
However, PFML does not protect employees from a normal layoff that happens while on leave. It also does not protect employees from separation from their job for reasons of poor performance or misconduct.
What happens to my health insurance while I’m on leave?
The City will continue paying for the employer portion of health insurance while you are on a qualifying PFML leave. You will be responsible for the portion of the premium you usually pay. If you use your accruals, your premium portion will be taken from your accruals. If you choose not to use your accruals, you will owe the City and be required to sign a repayment agreement for what insurance premium payments you owe the City.
COLLECTING PFML PAYMENT
If I am approved for PFML, will I be paid my entire salary?
The State will pay a portion of your salary based on your past income and how much leave you are taking. To estimate those payments, you can use the state’s PFML calculator here: https://mn.gov/deed/paidleave/employees/leave-time/
You can use paid City accruals to “top off” the difference between your PFML payment and your full salary. If you have short-term disability insurance, those payments may contribute a portion of your salary as well.
However, you cannot collect more than 100% of your regular wages from all sources.
How do I get paid for intermittent leave?
If you take intermittent leave, you will get paid for the time you actually take off from work, whether that's a few hours, a day, or more.
Your weekly payment will be based on how much leave you use that week. For example, if you take one day off in a week, your payment will reflect the PFML-determined allotment for one day's worth of your usual wages, not the full week.
You will need to regularly report the hours or days you were on leave. The State will use that information to calculate your payment.
Can I receive PFML payments and Workers’ Compensation, social security disability, and/or unemployment?
You cannot receive Paid Leave payments while also receiving some other types of benefits. These include:
• Unemployment insurance payments
• Social Security disability benefits (in most circumstances).
Other payments, like Workers’ Compensation, can reduce the amount of your Paid Leave payments. If your Workers’ Compensation benefit is the same or more than what you would get from Paid Leave, you will not receive Paid Leave payments.
Can I receive PFML payments and Short-Term Disability?
Yes, you can receive short-term disability payments at the same time as receiving benefits from Paid Leave. It is important to note that while the state’s Paid Leave division will not decrease the benefit you receive, your short-term disability provider may be entitled to reduce the benefit that they pay to you. Even if you choose not to apply for PFML, your short-term disability carrier may reduce your payments if you are eligible for PFML.
Can I use my comp, sick, and vacation time as well as PFML?
Yes, but only to “top off” your PFML to reach 100% of your regular salary, not to go over.
Can I use Paid Parental Leave (PPL) in addition to PFML?
If you qualify for PPL, the City will pay you for the time off you take under PPL in your collective bargaining agreement or under City policy (generally up to 4 or 8 weeks). However, time taken under PPL will count towards your PFML total and will not extend your maximum leave allowed under PFML or FMLA.
Who is paying me during my PFML time off?
PFML payments are made by the State of Minnesota, directly to you. You will be able to receive payments through direct deposit or through a debit card.
Additional accruals that you choose to use to “top off” your PFML payments will be made directly to you by the City, per your usual direct deposit or paycheck method.
Short-term disability payments, if applicable, will be made directly to you by the insurance carrier.
If I receive a step increase or other regularly-scheduled wage increase while I’m on leave, will that be reflected in my paycheck?
Since PFML payments from the State are based on a calculation of past wages before your leave began, your PFML payments from the State will not reflect new wage changes while you are on leave.
If you receive a City-issued pay increase while on leave and choose to use your accruals, your paid accruals will reflect the new rate on your paycheck at the same time as if you were not on leave.
What if I am overpaid?
If you are overpaid by any of the above methods, including by the City, they have the right to recoup any overpayments.
Will paid leave benefits be taxed?
Please see this document for paid leave information from the State of Minnesota: https://mn.gov/deed/assets/taxes-paid-leave_tcm1045-689451.pdf
Please see this ruling regarding how the federal government taxes paid leave programs:
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rr-25-04.pdf
Are PFML payments Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA)-eligible?
The MPL benefit is paid directly by the State to employees and is therefore not PERA-eligible salary.• Employer-paid time off accruals (comp, sick, vacation) used as “top off” are only PERA-eligible if the leave is medical leave and the employer-paid benefits are at least 50% of the employee’s regular earnings.
For more information, contact Minnesota PERA at 800-652-9026, Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
What if I have additional questions about PFML?
The best way to reach the State regarding PFML is through their Contact Center.
To reach the Contact Center by phone, call 651-556-7777 or 844-556-0444 (toll-free).
Hours: Mon.-Fri. from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (closed during state holidays)
Email: paidleave@state.mn.us