Helping businesses prepare for upcoming lighting and paid leave mandates

By Doug Loon
President and CEO
Minnesota Chamber of Commerce

I’m coming to you from the Chamber’s offices for this week’s Minnesota Business Podcast. We hope you had a safe and enjoyable Halloween, and I want to update you on a few key items from the Chamber.

First, we’re celebrating a milestone — our 100th episode of the Minnesota Business Podcast! When the team told me we had reached 100 episodes, I was honestly surprised. I want to thank each of you for tuning in every week for your business updates, policy insights, and yes, my occasional commentary, as we share what’s happening at the Chamber and across Minnesota’s business community.

As part of our continued focus on workplace compliance, I want to mention a new rule that many businesses may not be aware of. Beginning soon, Minnesota will phase out the sale of several types of fluorescent light bulbs and ballasts, stemming from the 2023 legislative session. This change is designed to reduce mercury use and encourage more energy-efficient lighting.

The phase-out began this year with compact fluorescent lamps and mercury vapor bulbs, and by 2026, it will extend to pin-based fluorescent lights and long fluorescent tubes commonly used in offices, warehouses, and commercial buildings. Businesses can continue using their existing fluorescent lights, but they won’t be able to purchase new ones once the ban takes effect.

Now’s a good time to plan ahead and switch to LED lighting, which uses less energy, lasts longer, and eliminates mercury entirely. Doing the full conversion at once ensures consistent lighting and saves money on electric costs.

The Chamber’s Energy Smart program, part of our Environmental Sustainability Foundation, is ready to help. The program offers free energy assessments, identifies the best LED options for your business, helps manage rebate paperwork, and connects businesses to available grant funding to lower conversion costs. The Energy Smart team can even coordinate directly with your utility provider to ensure rebates are applied efficiently.

If your business still uses fluorescent lighting, I encourage you to reach out to our Energy Smart team to start planning your retrofit before the 2026 deadline. Visit mnchamber.com to learn more about our sustainability programs and how they can help you save money, meet state requirements, and advance your own sustainability goals.

I also want to remind you that November 1 marked two months until the Paid Family and Medical Leave law takes effect on January 1, 2026. Businesses now have until November 15 — an extended deadline — to decide whether to pursue a private plan or participate in the state-managed program. This extra time gives employers a few more days to weigh their options and ensure they’re ready to comply with this new mandate.

You can find resources, guides, and compliance tools on our website, where we’ve gathered everything you need to prepare for the law’s rollout.

With that, thank you again for joining us — and for helping us reach 100 episodes of the Minnesota Business Podcast!