Short answer. 1 hour of ESST for every 30 hours worked in Minnesota. At least 48 hours of accrual a year; a balance may be capped at 80 hours unless the employer agrees to more. Use may begin: employees may use earned sick and safe time as it is accrued.
At a glance
- Law
- Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST, Minn. Stat. 181.9445 to 181.9448)
- In effect
- January 1, 2024.
- Accrual
- 1 hour of ESST for every 30 hours worked in Minnesota.
- Yearly limit
- At least 48 hours of accrual a year; a balance may be capped at 80 hours unless the employer agrees to more.
- Use may begin
- Employees may use earned sick and safe time as it is accrued.
- Agency
- Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
Example with dates
Suppose someone at an employer in the "covered employers" group starts on Monday, January 25, 2027 and works 20 hours every week. At 1 hour per 30 hours worked, that's 0.66 hours a week, and the first year comes to 34.66 hours. The latest an employer could hold off use is Monday, January 25, 2027.
- By Sunday, April 25, 2027: 8 hours
- By Sunday, July 25, 2027: 16.66 hours
- By Tuesday, January 25, 2028: 34.66 hours
Your own figures: open the calculator set to Minnesota.
What the time covers
The employee's or a family member's illness or care, absences due to domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking of the employee or a family member, and closure of a family member's school or care facility due to weather or a public emergency.
Unused hours at year end
Accrued, unused hours carry over to the following year, within the 80-hour balance cap.
Front-loading instead of accrual
Allowed: front-loading either 48 or 80 hours at the start of the year are the two options.
Notices, posters and statements
Employers must give all employees a notice with the required information.
City and county rules
Yes, local paid sick leave ordinances apply in parts of the state; an employer there follows whichever rule gives employees more. The official page: ESST FAQs (Minneapolis and St. Paul ordinances).
Worth knowing
An employee is anyone the employer expects to work at least 80 hours a year in Minnesota. Rules adopted June 29, 2026 took effect July 6, 2026. Local ESST ordinances are in effect in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Not stated on the official pages we read: small-employer rules.
Official sources
- FAQs: Earned sick and safe time (Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry) (checked November 2026)
Rules as published on the pages above, checked November 2026. General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. A city ordinance, union contract or written policy can give employees more.
Questions employers ask
How much paid sick leave do employees earn in Minnesota?
1 hour of ESST for every 30 hours worked in Minnesota. At least 48 hours of accrual a year; a balance may be capped at 80 hours unless the employer agrees to more.
When can a new employee start using sick leave in Minnesota?
Employees may use earned sick and safe time as it is accrued.
Does unused sick time carry over to the next year in Minnesota?
Accrued, unused hours carry over to the following year, within the 80-hour balance cap.
Can a Minnesota employer front-load sick leave instead of tracking accrual?
Allowed: front-loading either 48 or 80 hours at the start of the year are the two options.
What can Minnesota sick leave be used for?
The employee's or a family member's illness or care, absences due to domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking of the employee or a family member, and closure of a family member's school or care facility due to weather or a public emergency.
All states: paid sick leave laws by state · Michigan · Nebraska