SPONSORED CONTENT What Farmers Need to Know About Minnesota's Paid Family and Medical Leave Program By Lindsey Fischer, Payroll Supervisor A big change is coming to Minnesota's workforce that farmers need to prepare for. Starting in January 2026, the state's Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program goes live. This means both employers and employees will begin contributing through payroll deductions, with the first premium payments due in April 2026. The PFML program covers four types of leave: Medical, Family Care, Parental, and Safety Leave. Workers may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of medical leave and up to 12 weeks of family leave per year, with a combined maximum of 20 weeks of paid leave annually. Leave can be taken all at once or in smaller increments, but employees must give notice at least 30 days in advance, if the event is foreseeable. This program affects nearly all employers and employees in Minnesota, with only a few exceptions, including self-employed individuals without W-2 wages. If you're a farm employer in Minnesota, you're still obligated to send in quarterly reports about your workers. Even though most farm employers don't have to pay federal or state unemployment taxes, these employers will need to create a special "Paid Leave only" account with the state. Farmers that have seasonal employees with wages occurring only during the seasonal period still must submit zero wage reports starting with the third quarter of 2024. No matter the size of your farming operation, understanding Minnesota's Paid Leave legislation is critical. You can learn more about these upcoming changes at mn.gov/deed/paidleave. If you're looking for knowledgeable accounting and payroll professionals to help walk you through your options, give us a call at 320-235-5937 or reach out at christiansoncpa.com. SPONSORED CONTENT What Farmers Need to Know About Minnesota's Paid Family and Medical Leave Program By Lindsey Fischer , Payroll Supervisor A big change is coming to Minnesota's workforce that farmers need to prepare for . Starting in January 2026 , the state's Paid Family and Medical Leave ( PFML ) program goes live . This means both employers and employees will begin contributing through payroll deductions , with the first premium payments due in April 2026 . The PFML program covers four types of leave : Medical , Family Care , Parental , and Safety Leave . Workers may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of medical leave and up to 12 weeks of family leave per year , with a combined maximum of 20 weeks of paid leave annually . Leave can be taken all at once or in smaller increments , but employees must give notice at least 30 days in advance , if the event is foreseeable . This program affects nearly all employers and employees in Minnesota , with only a few exceptions , including self - employed individuals without W - 2 wages . If you're a farm employer in Minnesota , you're still obligated to send in quarterly reports about your workers . Even though most farm employers don't have to pay federal or state unemployment taxes , these employers will need to create a special " Paid Leave only " account with the state . Farmers that have seasonal employees with wages occurring only during the seasonal period still must submit zero wage reports starting with the third quarter of 2024 . No matter the size of your farming operation , understanding Minnesota's Paid Leave legislation is critical . You can learn more about these upcoming changes at mn.gov/deed/paidleave . If you're looking for knowledgeable accounting and payroll professionals to help walk you through your options , give us a call at 320-235-5937 or reach out at christiansoncpa.com .