MN Paid Leave

Most Minnesota employees are eligible if they earned at least $3,900 in Minnesota wages in the year before applying for leave. Unlike the federal FMLA, there is no minimum number of hours or length of employment required to qualify for the partial pay benefit.

Once you have worked for Carleton for at least 90 days, your job is protected. You must be restored to your same job or an equivalent position with the same pay and benefits if you return from your MN PFML-qualifying leave within the approved timeline.

1. Notify Human Resources: Inform HR of your need for leave (at least 30 days in advance for foreseeable leave, or as soon as possible for unexpected leave). HR will then help you notify the relevant offices (your manager, the Office of the Provost, Student Life, etc.).
2. Apply to UNUM: You are responsible for applying directly for the PFML benefit through the UNUM portal. You will need to provide them with the required documentation, like a medical certification.
   • IMPORTANT: Claims for MN PFML benefits cannot be filed with Unum until January 2, 2026.
3. Coordinate with Human Resources: Provide HR with a copy of your UNUM application and any benefit decisions. HR will then discuss “top-off” pay options with you or help establish a benefit payment plan, if applicable.

Your pay may come from two sources:

1. Partial Pay from UNUM (PFML Benefit): This is the partial wage replacement determined by UNUM based on your earnings, up to the state maximum.
2. “Top-Off” Pay from Carleton: You can choose to use your accrued Carleton paid time off (like ESST, Annual Leave, or the Extended Illness Reserve) to cover the difference between the partial benefit from UNUM and your full regular earnings.
   • Benefits-eligible staff who have worked at Carleton for at least one year and benefits-eligible faculty may also qualify for bonding leave benefits, which will provide the difference between the UNUM MN PFML payment and the employee’s full weekly earnings for the first twelve weeks of a bonding leave.

Carleton cannot require you to use your leave accruals. You can choose to use your accrued time to “top off” the partial wage replacement and receive up to 100% of your regular salary. Using your accruals to “top off” your partial wage replacement is a beneficial way to cover your benefit premiums while on leave.

• Health Insurance: Carleton must continue to pay the employer portion of your group health insurance. You remain responsible for your portion of the premium. Using accruals during leave to “top off” your UNUM payment is a good way to keep your benefit premiums current.
• Other Benefits: You are required to continue to pay your portion of all insurance benefit premiums (vision, dental, voluntary life, LTD, etc.). If elected, this will be deducted from your “top-off” pay. However, you do not accrue leave time or receive benefits (like retirement or life insurance) on the partial wage replacement payments you receive directly from UNUM.
• Leave Accruals: Staff generally do not receive leave accruals while on leave. The only exception is when they use accrued leave to “top off” their pay. They will receive accruals on the portion of accrued leave used.

If you do not have enough accruals to cover benefit premiums or choose not to “top off” the UNUM payment, you will be responsible for paying Carleton directly for all benefit premiums.

Carleton has chosen to partner with UNUM to administer our MN PFML program for various reasons. Doing so allows us to provide a benefit equivalent to or better than the state plan, simplify administration, facilitate an easy transition to long-term disability, ensure timely payments, and offer a single program for employees in all states.

There are several related changes. Please see the FAQs- Staff Leave Benefit Changes related to MN PFML below for more information.

The employee portion of the MN PFML premium for 2026 is 0.44% of their gross earnings up to the Social Security maximum taxable earnings amount ($184,500 in 2026).

Premium collection will start in January 2026 and will be collected on each payroll.

For example, an employee who earns $20.00 per hour and works 40 hours per week earns $1,600 each pay period, and $7.04 will be deducted from each paycheck to cover the MN PFML premium (total annual premium = $183.04).

All employees paid by Carleton are eligible for MN PFML and will pay the same premium percentage.

Our leave programs were developed before the MN PFML law, and several were redundant. We also took this opportunity to simplify leave types and equalize staff leaves.

Effective on January 1, 2026, benefits-eligible staff will accrue 1 hour of Sick/ESST for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum accrual of 64 hours per year. Other changes include a new accrual maximum of 260 hours, and Sick/ESST will not be eligible for payout (or partial payout) for any employee group.

Benefits-eligible staff may designate up to 80 hours of sick accruals per fiscal year as Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST).

Employees with a sick leave balance exceeding 260 hours on January 1, 2026, will have up to 500 hours of that excess automatically transferred into their individual Extended Illness Reserve. Any remaining balance beyond this will be forfeited.

Non-exempt employees will have the option of a one-time in-service payout of Sick accruals. If this option is selected, balances above 260 hours will be paid out at 20% on December 19, 2025. Human Resources will reach out to qualifying employees on November 19, 2025, and elections will be due by December 5, 2025.

It is a new benefit that provides additional paid leave for employees facing a serious medical condition for themselves or their child

Employees with a sick leave balance exceeding 260 hours on January 1, 2026, will have up to 500 hours of that excess automatically transferred into their individual Extended Illness Reserve. Forfeited Sick/ESST accruals will automatically transfer to an employee’s EIR until the maximum of 500 hours is reached.

Employees can use their EIR to “top off” the partial wage replacement received from the Minnesota Paid Medical Leave (PML) program for their own medical condition or that of a minor child, allowing them to receive up to 100% of their regular pay during an eligible, prolonged serious illness. Before using the Reserve, employees must first use their ESST or Annual Leave for the initial five (5) work days of the qualifying leave.

EIRs have no cash value and are not eligible for payout upon termination. The maximum balance will be prorated by the employee’s approved FTE.

Yes, the current Paid Parental Leave program will sunset on December 31, 2025.

In 2026, Carleton will offer Paid Bonding Leave. For employees with one or more years of service, Paid Bonding Leave will pay the difference between the employee’s MN PFML payment and their full weekly salary up to a maximum of 12 weeks of “top-off” pay. Paid Bonding leave is available equally to both parents and can be used at any time during the first year of child bonding, but must align with the employee’s MN PFML leave.

The CLSP program, which allowed non-union, non-exempt staff to donate unused leave to colleagues facing catastrophic health events, was available to non-exempt, non-union employees. However, it hasn’t been used in recent years and will sunset on December 31, 2025. The existing CLSP balance of 1929 hours will be moved to the newly established Extended Illness Reserve on a pro-rata basis for non-exempt, non-union staff.

After reviewing feedback, we are simplifying our leave structure to make it easier for staff to understand and use their time off.

What is Changing?

• Sunset Date: Effective December 31, 2025, the separate categories of Vacation, Floating Holiday, and Weather Days will be retired.
• New Plan: Effective January 1, 2026, we are introducing a single, combined category: Annual Leave for all benefits-eligible staff.

Accrual Rates (Same for all benefits-eligible staff):

• 0-10 years of service- 200 hours/year​
• 10+ years of service- 224 hours/year​

Note: Annual Leave accrual rates are equal to or greater than the combined time off provided in 2025.

Maximums and Payout:

• Annual Maximum Balance: 320 hours.
• Payout at Termination: 50% of unused Annual Leave balances may be paid out, provided proper notice of termination was given.
• Part-Time Staff: Accruals and maximums will be prorated based on the staff member’s approved FTE.

Transitioning to Annual Leave:

• Balance Transfer: Effective January 1, 2026, your existing balances from Vacation, Floating Holiday, and Weather Days will be combined and automatically transferred into your new Annual Leave bank.
• Annual Leave Plan Cap Grace Period: If your transferred balance on January 1, 2026, exceeds 320 hours, you will have a grace period until December 31, 2026, to use the excess time and reduce your balance to the 320-hour maximum.

Yes. For non-exempt staff, accruals are based on hours reported. For exempt staff, accruals are prorated by the employee’s approved FTE. The maximum balance is prorated based on the approved FTE for all staff.