Agriculture: Worker rights and employer requirements

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The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry provides information for agricultural workers and employers about workplace rights and responsibilities.

• For agricultural workers

• For agricultural employers

Agricultural workers

Agricultural workers in Minnesota have specific legal protections. Key protections include the right to:

• receive overtime pay after 48 hours in a workweek (Note:  Some workers are exempt if they are paid a salary of at least $838.64 per week in 2026; “salary” means a guaranteed, predetermined weekly wage);

• earn at least the Minnesota minimum wage, which is higher than the federal minimum wage;

• be protected by child labor laws, including rules that allow workers ages 12 to 15 to work with parental or guardian consent but not during school hours without an employment certificate, and allow workers ages 16 and 17 to work during school hours;

• earn paid sick and safe time they can use when they’re sick, need to care for a family member or have a safety concern; 

• receive pregnancy and nursing accommodations; and

• receive Paid Leave during pregnancy, after childbirth, to bond with a child or for medical reasons if they worked enough hours in Minnesota to qualify.

Recruited migrant agricultural workers

Additional requirements apply to recruited migrant agricultural workers. These are individuals who:

• are at least 17 years old;

• travel more than 100 miles from another state to work in agriculture in Minnesota; and

• are recruited based on an offer or the possibility of employment.

Key protections for recruited migrant agricultural workers include the right to:

• receive a written employment statement at the time of recruitment in English and Spanish, or English and the worker’s preferred language;

• receive an employee wage notice at the time of hire;

• be guaranteed at least 70 hours of pay over any two successive weeks; and

• be paid at least every two weeks and within three days upon termination.

Agricultural employers

Agricultural employers must comply with Minnesota labor laws, including requirements related to pay, recordkeeping and recruited migrant agricultural workers.

Employers must:

• pay wages accurately and on time;

• provide employee wage notices;

• follow overtime requirements;

• maintain accurate records;

• provide earned sick and safe time;

• provide pregnancy and nursing accommodations; 

• participate in the Paid Leave program; and 

• not recruit workers using false or misleading information about job duties, pay or working conditions.

Additional requirements apply when recruiting migrant agricultural workers. See “Recruited migrant agricultural workers” above.

Contact

For questions or assistance, contact the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry’s Labor Standards Division at 651-284-5075 or dli.laborstandards@state.mn.us.