Becker County, Detroit Lakes Schools strain to cover for workers out on the state's new paid leave program

DETROIT LAKES — Minnesota’s paid family leave program has been hitting some local governments hard. Minnesota Paid Leave is a state-run insurance program that went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year. It provides partial wage replacement and job protection to eligible workers who need time off for medical issues or to care for family members. Beyond medical issues such as cancer, the program also covers pregnancy, family caregiving, new child bonding, military family support, and safety leave. Workers can take up to 12 weeks of medical leave and up to 12 weeks of family leave per year, with a combined maximum of 20 weeks. At the Becker County-owned Sunnyside Nursing Home, about 10% of the 70 employees are out on paid leave for 12 to 20 weeks, mostly on the day shift, according to Executive Director Ashley McNally. The 30-bed nursing home now has 24 patients. “We’re keeping it (patient numbers) down mostly due to paid family leave,” McNally told the Becker County Board recently.

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