Minnesota State Wire

NFIB Minnesota is campaigning for legislative reform of two employment mandates—Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) and Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST)—which they consider harmful to small businesses.

The organization advocates for a delay in the implementation of the 20-week PFML, which is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026. NFIB executive director has highlighted the pressure applied by its members as potentially influential, given the narrow Democrat Senate majority and the deadlock in the House. "We have pushed for a one-year delay to the 20-week Paid Family Medical Leave, and we had an NFIB member testify in support of it," an NFIB spokesperson stated.

ESST is already in effect, and according to NFIB Minnesota, it is adversely impacting business owners, which adds to the urgency of their call for reform. The organization is encouraging small business owners to communicate with state lawmakers to advocate for changes that better accommodate their interests.

The NFIB hopes that the involvement of its members in lobbying could eventually lead to modifications of the mandates, thereby easing their impact on the state's small businesses.