What benefits can servers get in Minnesota?
The short answer
The rule in Minnesota
| Minnesota Paid Leave | Up to 12 weeks of medical leave and up to 12 weeks of family leave (bonding, caring for a relative, military family, or safety leave), 20 weeks at most in a benefit year. The qualifying event must last at least seven days, which don’t need to be in a row. |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | At least $3,900 earned in the last year, from one job or several. Full-time, part-time, and temporary workers are covered. Apply online through a Paid Leave account. |
| Weekly benefit and cost | Most people get 55% to 90% of regular wages, up to $1,423 a week, paid by the state. The 2026–2027 premium is 0.88% of wages, and employers can take up to 0.44% from your pay. |
| Job protection | Starts 90 days after hire; from day one for pregnancy-related medical leave or bonding leave. |
| Seasonal hospitality exclusion | A seasonal restaurant, resort, or food business can ask the state to designate jobs lasting no more than 150 days in 52 weeks. Designated workers can’t take Paid Leave from that job, and the employer must tell you in writing when it offers the job. |
| Earned Sick and Safe Time | 1 hour per 30 worked, up to 48 hours a year, paid at your base rate, for employees expected to work at least 80 hours a year in Minnesota. |
| Minnesota Child Tax Credit, 2025 | Up to $1,750 per child under 18, no limit on the number of children, phasing out above $31,950 of income ($37,910 married filing jointly). Claim on Schedule M1CWFC. |
“Those working in positions that have been designated as seasonal hospitality employment are excluded from Paid Leave for that position. Your employer will notify you if you are designated.” (Minnesota Paid Leave: how Paid Leave works)
What’s different in Minnesota
Minnesota’s program has a carve-out written for restaurants and resorts. One whose best six months of sales are three times its slowest six can ask to designate short-season jobs, and those jobs drop out of Paid Leave. If you work summers only, check the written notice your employer gave you when it hired you.
Year-round servers are in. The $3,900 earnings test is low, jobs can be combined, and bonding leave is job-protected from the first day. The state Child Tax Credit adds up to $1,750 a child for lower earners. Plus the federal programs.
Official sources
Last verified
. Checked the agency pages linked above.
Still open: State Medicaid and MinnesotaCare pages blocked our fetch, so health programs aren’t listed here; check MNsure. The Paid Leave pages don’t say how tips count in your regular wages.