By Sally Makreff
Blog Overview
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) has launched an online portal where state contractors can submit their Annual Compliance Report starting September 1, 2025. This new system is meant to streamline the submission process for contractors, as well as allow MDHR compliance officers to better conduct compliance investigations. New features such as a secure messaging platform are set to be implemented in the near future.
Earlier this month, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) unveiled its new online portal that allows state contractors to securely submit their Annual Compliance Report (ACR) and supporting documents to the agency. The portal is designed to simplify and modernize the submission process and provide a secure way to submit confidential and sensitive information to MDHR.
Key Features of MDHR’s New Online Portal
The launch of the new portal comes on the heels of the release of the revised ACR requirements which we detailed in a previous blog. The ACR is now divided into two parts:
Future Development of MDHR’s Online Portal
According to a source at MDHR, the agency is developing more enhancements to the online portal. Their vision is for the portal to become the method that contractors use to complete and submit all documents related to the Workforce Certificate application and Annual Compliance Report, as well as exemption, withdrawal, and surrender requests. Contractors will be able to complete the required application documents online via MDHR's OnBase system which serves as their primary workflow and data software system.
In addition, contractors will be able to communicate directly with MDHR via a secure messaging system that will ensure privacy and confidentiality. MDHR anticipates that the new portal will be used for all interactions between MDHR and the contractor, starting with the notice of the due date for the Workforce Certificate or ACR to the issuance of the Workforce Certificate.
New Analytical Tools
To assist in its evaluation of contractors’ compliance with the requirements, MDHR is developing analytical tools within the portal to identify contractors that have potential issues. MDHR hopes to prioritize these contractors to review and possibly take enforcement actions against them.
Enforcement actions could include revisions to policies and recovery of wages and benefits to those employees affected by discrimination. In addition, there could be financial penalties up to $5,000 per contract per year, revocation or suspension of the Workforce Certificate, which would prevent further contracting with the state, or modification or termination of the contract itself.
In addition, the agency has created a system that will enable industry benchmarking to identify trends. MDHR believes this will help determine which contractors to select for further review and potential audits. These tools are expected to allow the agency’s staff to spend less time on manual data review and more time focusing on evaluating and investigating contractors’ compliance with the requirements and enforcement.
Benefits and Risks for Contractors
Contractors will benefit from the new online portal in a number of ways. MDHR expects that the new streamlined process will allow for faster approval times for Workforce Certificates and ACRs. For instance, the portal will provide real-time feedback via automated alerts for missing or incomplete information. This will reduce the back-and-forth communication between contractors and MDHR, leading to quicker processing times.
Other improvements to the contractor’s experience include a user-friendly interface, as well as a tracking function within the portal that will allow contractors to track submission status. MDHR also hopes contractors will benefit from the privacy and security of the portal’s secure messaging system.
Of course, with the robust analytical features and automations of the new portal, there is a potential risk for more intense audits. With the MDHR staff now having more time to spend on investigations, compliance officers will expected to conduct more thorough audits. Contractors should take the time now to review all of Minnesota state requirements to ensure they are compliant.
Using the Portal
Contractors can access the current MDHR online portal to upload their ACR through MDHR’s website. MDHR has advised that submissions of the ACR and supporting documentation via email will not be accepted after September 1, 2025.
Completion of all aspects of the online portal is expected in the Spring of 2026. MDHR has indicated they will be hosting training webinars on the new portal once it is completed.
Stay tuned for updates in the coming months as work on the online portal progresses.