Staying Ahead of Key Policy Developments at the Capitol

From tax-related proposals to evolving regulatory considerations, these decisions have the potential to shape the operating environment for employers of all sizes. As these conversations move forward, it’s more important than ever for the business community to stay informed and engaged.

The Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce remains committed to serving as a trusted resource and advocate for our members. We are closely following updates from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, who continue to represent business interests at the state level and provide timely insights into how proposed legislation may affect Minnesota employers.

We encourage you to review the full update from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce to better understand what’s being discussed and how it may impact your business: View Survey Results | View Testimony

----

Making needed adjustments to the state’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave mandate is top of mind for the state’s business community. The Legislature must address operational challenges for both employers and employees to ensure that the program is functional, cost controlled and responsive to workplace dynamics. The potential for fraud must be closely monitored and eliminated as well.

That is why we just conducted a survey over the past two months focusing on the user experience so we could take that feedback directly to the Capitol.  

Nearly 700 business leaders, HR departments and employees from across the state took the time to share their line of sight into the PFML management experience. We have a statistically meaningful snapshot of business sentiment – on a qualitative and quantitative level - on the actual experience with paid leave:

• 78% of respondents have less than 100 employees, but even more significantly, 40% of respondents represent some of our smallest businesses with fewer than 10 employees. 
• 42% of the respondents have a filed claim. Nearly 2/3 of those with filed claims have multiple claims filed - over 22% in this subset of respondents have claims filed in the double digits. 
• On a claim type level, combination claims were reported to be the highest for our respondents at 38%.
• Employers are also surprised by the negative employee reactions to paid leave (namely the payroll tax and not having a say in voting for it) and many workers want to opt-out. 

DEED small business grants for paid leave 

If you qualify as a “small employer” under the PFML program, you can apply for a grant to help cover costs when an employee has taken leave for expenses incurred after Jan 1, 2026. These grants help manage the cost of hiring temporary workers, increasing hours or wages or training staff while an employee is out on PFML. 

Grants offer up to $3,000 per leave, with a maximum of $6,000 per employer each calendar year. The program is funded at $5,000,000 annually, and once those funds are fully used, no additional grants will be awarded that calendar year.

To learn more and apply, click here.