More than 13,000 applicants were approved in the first full month of Minnesota's new Paid Family and Medical Leave program.
Most of them are women under 40 who are bonding with a child, and receiving roughly between $1,100 and $1,400 a week.
Department of Employment and Economic Development Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe says they're also keeping a close eye on fraud, saying they have stopped numerous attempts already.
"When people aren't who they claim to be, when people submit false documentation to us, you know, suggesting that they have spoken with a medical provider, when in fact they have not spoken with a medical provider and gotten the appropriate certification," explains Rowe.
Funding for the program is provided by a payroll tax on employers.
Some small business owners and industry groups have expressed opposition to the program over financial and staffing concerns.
Rowe says while there have been no significant glitches so far, there's always room for improvement.
"We want this program to be boring," he says. "We want this program to be that. We want Minnesotans to be able to depend on this in their moments of need, and we're not going to stop continuing to make improvements so that both applicants and employers can have an excellent experience with the program."
Most applicants are taking leave to bond with a child, followed by medical leave. Rowe adds that when they do get information on fraud, they are quick to take action.
"Whether, you know, it's reported through our whistleblower forum online, whether it's reported by an employer, we follow up on those things as well," Rowe said Monday. "Because that's another very useful and often action actionable source of intelligence that we use to ensure program integrity in the paid leave program."