If you have any MN employees, you need to keep up with your 2026 Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) requirements… even if you’re confused about compliance or afraid to learn what your premiums will be.
The enforcement of PFML may be low at first, but if you are caught out of compliance, the consequences are high. It only takes one employee to turn you in and shut down your business. Don’t risk dragging your feet. Follow this short guide now!
At CSI Accounting & Payroll, we’ve provided guidance to small businesses for 60 years. That includes staying on top of the many laws that affect small businesses. We’ve been asked about PFML deadlines a bunch, including:
You were required to inform your MN employees of their PFML rights by December 1st, 2025. That meant notifying all eligible employees individually and hanging PFML posters at your workplace.
Missed that deadline? Just make sure you do what’s required as soon as possible.
As for the consequences of not informing employees on time, some websites cause Google’s AI summaries to mention specific fees, but we can’t verify their accuracy since the official PFML website doesn’t say anything about fees.
I mentioned that you’re required to inform your employees of their rights under PFML by December 1st. That means before December 1st, 2025, you needed to have your plan picked out: the state plan, or a private equivalent plan.
Didn’t get that done? It’s not the end of the world. We’ve speculated that many small businesses won’t want a private plan.
The only consequence of missing the cutoff to pick a private plan (if you want one) is that you’ll have to use the state plan in the meantime. Just sign up for a private plan and submit your request to the state. It’s recommended that you do this one quarter in advance of when you want to start the private plan (due to the typical seven-week processing time).
Since Minnesota’s Paid Leave and unemployment are both handled through the unemployment portal, you only need to set up your PFML Employer Account and Administrator Account if any of your MN employees (or owners) are exempt from unemployment. This is supposed to be done by January 1st, 2026.
If you miss that date, you could technically still make the accounts by April 30th, 2026, to stay in compliance with the reporting deadline. The only consequence is that nothing would be withheld from employees throughout the quarter.
Missed both of those deadlines? Then you’re out of compliance, and your odds of getting caught are now high. Don’t risk your business shutting down permanently. Call your Payroll Specialist for advice today!
Now that you know about the deadlines, consequences, and fixes related to PFML, you may realize that your Payroll Specialist isn’t helping you enough. Are you ready to check out CSI Accounting & Payroll instead?
To see if we can be a good fit for your business, click the button below for a free consultation:
Not ready to talk? That’s okay! First, learn what your payroll costs may look like by clicking the image below: