Halunen Law Blog

Category: EMPLOYMENT

Halunen Law – Employment
Employees Take a Stand – Paying Not to Play: Severance Agreements and Signing Away Your Legal Rights for a Final Paycheck

It’s Friday morning.  As usual, you show up to the office, grab a coffee from the break room, and fire up the computer to begin your day.  It’s been a long week but who cares – the weekend is in clear view and the cabin is calling.  Then, your boss pays you an unexpected visit …

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Halunen Law – Employment
Employees Take a Stand – Your Right to Medical Leave: The FMLA & MPLA

Life can change in a flash. Things are moving along and suddenly your child is in a serious accident, or you are diagnosed with an illness that requires extensive treatment. What do you do about your job? If you have worked for your employer longer than a year, you may have the right to take …

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Halunen Law – Employment
Employees Take a Stand – Is Anxiety a Disability?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) prohibit employers from discriminating against employees (or potential employees)with disabilities. In fact, these laws require employers to accommodate disabled employees if that will make it possible for the employee to continue working and does not create hardship for the employer. Under the …

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Halunen Law – Employment
NBA CENTER AND FORMER TIMBERWOLVES PLAYER ANNOUNCES HE IS GAY

Societal attitudes seem to be changing regarding sexual orientation discrimination. For example, the recent defeat of the proposed state marriage amendment confirmed that a majority of Minnesota voters do not believe that a prohibition against same-sex marriage should be codified as a state constitutional amendment. However, many civil rights advocates might agree that more action is required. …

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Halunen Law – Employment
Is It Legal to Be Fired for Selling Girl Scout Cookies?

The sale of Girl Scout cookies has become a national institution. Just like the return of Minnesota Twins baseball, blooming flowers, and March Madness, offerings of Tagalongs, Thin Mints and Dosidos are very common during spring. Those who are reading this post have probably purchased a box from young scouts strategically positioned outside a grocery …

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Halunen Law – Employment
MINNESOTA PROFESSOR ALLEGES WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION

A professor at Macalester College is suing her employer, alleging gender discrimination, as well as race and national origin discrimination under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The woman is currently a full professor with tenure at the college, teaching creative writing in its English department. However, the professor claims that she was wrongfully denied several promotions …

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Halunen Law – Employment
Employees Win Unpaid Overtime Class Action Lawsuit in Twin Cities

We recently wrote about a settlement in a class-action lawsuit involving janitors working for a company responsible for cleaning Twin Cities Target stores reached a preliminary allegation of unpaid wages. Dozens of janitors working at Target stores in the area had sued Tamps-based Diversified Maintenance Systems claiming they were required to work as many as …

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Halunen Law – Employment
MINNESOTA STATE AGENCY HAS BACKLOG OF DISCRIMINATION CASES

Minnesota workers are entitled to employment protections under both federal and state laws. In many aspects of employment law, Minnesota is a progressive state, with state laws offering additional prohibitions against certain types of workplace discrimination. The distinction between federal and state laws can be of minimal importance to employees who simply benefit from whichever …

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Halunen Law – Employment
EEOC Reviews Complaints Against Target Corp.

In a recent post, we discussed some of the challenges that those with a criminal record may face in the job market. Today’s story provides context for that struggle with a real life example. Recently, the NAACP and TakeAction Minnesota brought allegations of unfair hiring practices against Target Corp. In ten formal complaints filed with …

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Halunen Law – Employment
SOMETIMES IT PAYS TO GET LAID OFF

Minnesota air travelers may have heard that American Airlines has announced plans for merging with US Airways. The new company will be run by Doug Parker, the current CEO of US Airways Group Inc. However, Minnesota readers don’t need to express any sympathies to American Airlines’ current CEO, Tom Horton. Mr. Horton is expected to …

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