Levi Gayner

The new year brings fresh starts, and for Minnesota, January brings new laws from the state government that go into effect. This year, Minnesotans are looking forward to benefiting from a plethora of changes in laws surrounding paid leave, work breaks and workplace wages.

In 2023, Governor Tim Walz signed a bill implementing paid leave for all Minnesotans, rolling out this month, which marks the first time Minnesotan businesses are required by law to provide payment and job stability for leave. Before, businesses dictated the grounds for paid leave, but now, paid leave can be accessed for either medical leave and/or family leave (including bonding leave for children, caring leave for caring for a loved one, safety leave and military family leave for helping family members in military service). If an individual qualifies for both, they can obtain up to 20 weeks a year. This will help out thousands of Minnesotans who are in need, but some Minnesotans are nervous about the program. With previous fraud and high wage expectations, business owners are adversely affected and worried about what this will mean for their companies.

Last year, the state passed laws to improve and better define the required break time that workers receive. The laws now provide clarity on two kinds of mandatory breaks. The first is bathroom breaks, which are mandatory every four hours of a person’s shift. While this is the same as prior years, the law now requires “at least 15 minutes or enough time to utilize the nearest convenient restroom, whichever is longer.” This is opposed to the previous break time, which was only defined as “adequate time.”

The new laws coming into effect will also impact meal breaks. Previous to 2026, meal breaks were mandatory for people working eight hours or more and the duration was only defined as “sufficient time to eat.” Now, meal breaks are required for people working six hours or more and have to be a minimum of 30 minutes long. Some students at Mounds View with jobs felt they were being stretched thin with work, school and family. “I think overworking can be a serious issue,” said sophomore Freya Coverstone. This law will help relieve the stress placed on students.

Another change this January is Minnesota’s minimum wage requirements. Minimum wage is increasing 2.5% from last year to $11.41. The purpose of the increase is to try and keep up with inflation. It is also worth noting that in July, the minimum wage for the city of Minneapolis will increase from $15 an hour to $16.37 an hour.

With these new laws in place, Mounds View students are looking forward to seeing the benefits. “I think it’s a really great law for us, because it’s really going to help us make some advancements in Minnesota and really help people who are struggling with their lives,” said junior Evan Pundsack. But mostly, students are reaping the benefits now and are interested in learning more.