Women’s Economic Security Act and Paid Leave engagement and education grant, fiscal-year 2025

Five organizations will be awarded grants to promote education, outreach, communication, engagement and training to build worker and employer understanding of Minnesota laws relating to pregnant workers' and new parents’ workplace rights to pregnancy accommodations, express milk in the workplace and pregnancy and parental leave.

The grant funds will be used to educate Minnesota workers and employers about 2023 statutory changes to Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA) that broadened employee rights and employer requirements. In addition, grant work will include education on the Paid Leave law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2026, that provides paid time off when a serious health condition prevents Minnesotans from working, when they need time to care for a family member or a new child, for certain military-related events or for certain personal safety issues.

WESA and Paid Leave grants will be awarded to the following five organizations, which will receive and split $149,809 in funding to be used for programs operating from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025:

• Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Accion Latina COPAL Education Fund:  $35,000

• Greater Minnesota Worker Center:  $35,000

• Amherst H. Wilder Foundation c/o African American Babies Coalition and Projects:  $30,809

• Minnesota Training Partnership:  $24,500

• Muslim American Society of Minnesota:  $24,500

Grants can be used to distribute WESA- and Paid Leave-related materials, for advertising, worker counseling and to conduct and participate in training sessions, educational events and other types of engagement activities.

For more information about WESA, visit dli.mn.gov/newparents or contact DLI's Labor Standards Division at 651-284-5075 or dli.laborstandards@state.mn.us.

For more information about Paid Leave, visit mn.gov/deed/programs-services/paid-family.