JANITORS REACH SETTLEMENT IN UNPAID WAGES CLASS ACTION SUIT

Even as news of an improving economy has spurred job growth, it appears that many workers (especially low-wage workers) must fight for the wages they are entitled under law. Minnesota Public Radio recently reported that janitors for Diversified Maintenance Systems reached a settlement in a class action lawsuit filed against the company over unpaid wages. The class, which …

PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION: WHEN GETTING PREGNANT GETS YOU FIRED.

Although terminating someone’s employment because they are pregnant has been against the law since 1978 when the Pregnancy Discrimination Act was first passed it does not stop some Minnesota employers from blatantly firing someone simply for being pregnant. Take the case of a woman who told her employer she was pregnant at the beginning of …

Advocates Renew Push for LGBT Employment Protection

Advocates for gay rights are renewing their efforts to seek protection from discrimination in light of the president’s recent support for the cause during his second inaugural address. President Obama’s statements about gay rights represented a major turning point in the eyes of advocates who are excited about the possibilities for change. Current federal employment …

MAN CLAIMS RETALIATION, WRONGFUL TERMINATION BY TECH COMPANY

It’s fairly unusual to hear of a wrongful termination case with ties to an uprising, but one former Microsoft employee says that the tech giant fired him after he spoke to the press about his experience escaping Libya during the recent revolution. As many readers know, last year’s Libyan revolution was extremely violent and led …

HP’S TECHNOLOGY WORKERS FAIL TO GET THE SUPPORT THEY DESERVE

Anyone in Minneapolis who has had an issue with their personal computer or desktop printer has likely spent some time on a technical support hotline. Despite the inconvenience created by a technical issue, support staff often comes through with a solution. According to a recently filed class-action lawsuit, Hewlett-Packard, the major printer and computer manufacturer, …

PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS STILL LACKING

Many Minnesota readers know that it is illegal to discriminate against employees who become pregnant. Current laws afford protection from being treated unfairly, paid less, denied work or promotional opportunities, or retaliating against a worker who takes maternity or paternity leave. Those protections have helped accomplish a lot for employees and have made the situation …

Athletic Department Interns Pursue Class Action for Underpaid Work

Interns who have worked for the athletic department at a small liberal arts school on the East Coast are pursuing a class action lawsuit, claiming that they have been underpaid by the college for their efforts. The lead plaintiff says that he complained to top officials at the school in the human resources department about …

TARGET EMPLOYEE PETITIONS STORE TO STAY CLOSED ON THANKSGIVING

A Target employee traveled across the country earlier this month to deliver a petition to the company’s headquarters in Minneapolis. The petition requested that the store change its hours for Black Friday shopping, which have been creeping earlier and earlier each year, and the store now opens at 9 pm on Thanksgiving. The woman wrote …