Minnesota has added several worker protections in recent years: earned sick and safe time, a single minimum wage for all employers, new break rules effective January 1, 2026, and a state-run Paid Leave program. The Labor Standards Division of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) enforces most wage-and-hour rules. Here is the short version for employers.
EZTime labor rule alerts flag overtime and missed rest periods before payroll.
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Minimum wage | $11.41/hour for all employers in 2026; $11.87 on Jan. 1, 2027 |
| Training wage | $9.31/hour for workers under 20 during their first 90 days (2026) |
| Tipped employees | No tip credit; full minimum wage plus tips |
| Local minimums | Minneapolis and St. Paul: $16.37/hour for most employers in 2026 |
| Overtime | State law: after 48 hours/week; federal law: after 40 for covered employers; DLI |
| Meal break | At least 30 minutes when working 6+ consecutive hours (since Jan. 1, 2026); DLI |
| Rest break | At least 15 minutes within each 4 consecutive hours; breaks under 20 minutes are paid |
| Sick and safe time | 1 hour per 30 worked, up to 48 hours/year |
| Paid family/medical leave | State Paid Leave program: up to 20 weeks combined per benefit year |
| Final pay | Fired: within 24 hours of demand; quit: next pay period more than 5 days later; DLI |
Minnesota uses one minimum wage rate for all employers in the state. In 2026 that rate is $11.41 per hour, according to DLI's minimum wage page. The rate is adjusted for inflation each year, and in August 2026 DLI announced that it will rise to $11.87 per hour on January 1, 2027.
Employers may pay a 90-day training wage to employees under age 20. The training wage is $9.31 per hour in 2026 and rises to $9.68 on January 1, 2027.
Minnesota does not allow a tip credit. DLI states that an employee "must be paid at least the minimum wage per hour, plus any tips the employee might earn," and the U.S. DOL tipped wage table lists Minnesota among the states that require the full state minimum before tips. Servers, bartenders and other tipped staff must receive at least $11.41 per hour from the employer in 2026.
Both cities have their own minimum wage ordinances that can require higher pay than the state:
If your employees work in either city, even part of the week, read the city's ordinance for its coverage rules, which can mean two different rates in the same pay period.
The Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act requires overtime at one and one-half times the regular rate for all hours worked over 48 in a workweek, unless the employee is exempt under state law. That is a higher threshold than federal law, but most businesses are also covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which DLI notes "requires overtime after 40 hours in a seven-day workweek." The state minimum wage poster summarizes it the same way: time and a half after 48 hours for employers covered only by state law, and after 40 for federally covered employers.
Overtime is based on hours actually worked in a seven-day workweek, so paid holidays, vacation and sick time do not count toward the threshold. The regular rate is total weekly pay divided by total hours worked. Minnesota has no daily overtime requirement. Our FLSA overtime guide covers the federal 40-hour rule, and the overtime calculator checks the math.
Minnesota's break law changed on January 1, 2026. According to DLI's breaks page:
Update written policies, schedules and timekeeping rules that were built around the old eight-hour meal trigger.
Minnesota requires paid sick and safe time for employees who are expected to work at least 80 hours in a year for an employer in Minnesota, including part-time, seasonal and temporary staff. According to DLI's ESST fact sheet, employees earn one hour for every 30 hours worked and can earn up to 48 hours a year unless the employer agrees to more. Leave can be used for the employee's own illness, treatment or preventive care, a family member's care, and absences related to domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking, among other reasons. Employers must give employees a written notice of their ESST rights at the start of employment (in the employee's primary language if it is not English) and include the policy in any employee handbook. Pay statements must show available and used ESST hours for each pay period.
Minnesota's state Paid Leave program provides up to 12 weeks of medical leave for an employee's own serious health condition and up to 12 weeks of family leave for bonding with a new child, caring for a family member, certain military family needs and safety-related absences, with a combined maximum of 20 weeks in a benefit year. It is funded by premiums from employers and employees. For 2026 and 2027, the premium rate is 0.88% of wages; employers may collect up to 0.44% from employees, and qualifying small employers (30 or fewer workers and an average wage at or below the program's limit) pay a reduced 0.66% rate.
The U.S. DOL state payday table reports that Minnesota requires wages to be paid at least once every 31 days, and that employees in transitory employment must be paid at intervals of no more than 15 days.
Each pay statement must show the employee's name, the employer's legal name, the hourly rate if any, hours worked, gross and net earnings, all deductions, the pay period end date and ESST hours available and used. Under the DLI employee rights FAQs, employers generally cannot deduct for breakages, cash shortages, tools or uniforms, with limited exceptions.
DLI's child labor FAQs set these limits:
DLI notes that federal law is more restrictive for children under 16, so employers covered by both must follow the stricter rule. For questions about age certificates or exemptions, contact DLI Labor Standards before the minor's first shift.
Keep accurate records of hours worked, pay rates, deductions and ESST balances, since several of those items must appear on every pay statement. Display the Minnesota minimum wage and other requirements poster from DLI, plus the Paid Leave notice and any Minneapolis or St. Paul notices if you have workers in those cities.
The 2026 break changes and ESST tracking turn timekeeping into a compliance task. EZTime records shifts with a GPS mobile time clock with geofencing, NFC tags, a tablet kiosk or biometric clocks, and sends overtime and break alerts when a shift reaches six hours without a meal. Sick-leave and PTO balances accrue automatically, scheduling with shift templates and swaps keeps teen hours in bounds, and payroll-ready Excel and PDF exports work with any payroll software. Explore the attendance clock and pricing: from $2 per employee per month, with a 14-day trial.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; check the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry or an employment attorney. Last reviewed November 2026.
The state minimum wage is $11.41 per hour for all employers in 2026, with a $9.31 training wage for workers under 20 during their first 90 days. It rises to $11.87 on January 1, 2027.
No. Tipped employees must be paid at least the full minimum wage per hour, plus any tips they earn.
State law requires overtime after 48 hours in a workweek, but most businesses are also covered by federal law, which requires overtime after 40 hours.
Since January 1, 2026, employees get at least a 15-minute rest break within each four consecutive hours and at least a 30-minute meal break when working six or more consecutive hours. Breaks under 20 minutes must be paid.
A terminated employee must be paid within 24 hours of demanding wages. An employee who quits is paid on the next pay period that is more than five days later, and no later than 20 days after separation.