Unseen Epidemic: Corporate Executives on the Chopping Block Because of Age

A shocking, but all too familiar, pattern has emerged in corporate America as businesses have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Like never before, 50+ year olds in executive positions are being ousted from their jobs.  Another spike in an epidemic decades long.  So what’s going on? It appears that the time has come for a …

What’s Up With WhatsApp? Wall Street Firms Pay $1.1 Billion For Using WhatsApp In Violation SEC and CFTC Regulations

This past September the Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges against 15 broker-dealers and one affiliated investment adviser for widespread  and long-term failures by the firms and their employees to maintain and preserve electronic communications.  The firms and their employees used a messaging application on their cell phones called WhatsApp.  WhatsApp has become a popular …

Laid Off During a Pregnancy Leave? Negotiate a Win

A headline story in the New York Times recently read “When Having a Baby and Losing Your Job Collide.” The article discussed the recent phenomenon of large corporations, predominantly but not exclusively in the tech and media industries, offering lavish benefits and perks to attract quality workers in a tight labor market. Escalating competition for …

After Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation or Wrongful Termination, All Roads Don’t Lead to the Courthouse

You’ve likely heard some variation of the adage, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” When we meet people who’ve experienced workplace harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or wrongful termination, many of them arrive believing the only tool that can obtain justice is the hammer of litigation. Many more victims …

What You Should Know About Drug Testing and Medical Cannabis Issues in the Workplace

A majority of states, 38 to date plus four United States territories, have enacted statutes legalizing the consumption of cannabis to treat specified medical conditions. Some of these jurisdictions provide legal protections in the workplace for medical cannabis/marijuana users. Minnesota is one. That is, individuals in Minnesota with a qualifying medical condition (which includes chronic …

After Harassment, Discrimination or Wrongful Termination, You Deserve Justice. But What Does Justice Mean to You?

What once seemed like your dream job has turned into a nightmare. Maybe you endured harassment that your employer failed to address or stop. Perhaps you were denied opportunities, mistreated, or terminated because of your race, age, religion, disability, or other legally protected status. Maybe you observed illegal conduct in your organization. Or you may …

Gender Bias in Executive Severance Negotiations

A new study from researchers at the University of New Hampshire and the University of Nebraska has determined that men in executive leadership positions receive over $500,000 more in severance compensation than women. The study, recently published in the Journal of Business and Psychology, examines severance packages at the executive level through a series of …

Game Theory and Severance: Why You Should Always Negotiate

Your career isn’t a game, especially if you face the unexpected, unwanted or unjustified end of your current tenure. But if your employer decides to show you the door and offers you a severance package, you’re playing a high-stakes game, whether you like it or not. As with all negotiations, hashing out a severance package …

Victims of Workplace Sexual Harassment and Assault are no Longer Bound by Employer’s Arbitration Clauses

In a rare show of bipartisanship, the Senate passed, and the President signed into law the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (the “Act”). What are arbitration agreements, and how do they affect your employment? Regardless of their size, many companies manage to squeeze in some sort of an arbitration provision …

Recent Halunen Law lawsuit challenges entrenched discriminatory, retaliatory behavior at Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training office

Alleging a deep-seated culture of egregious and overt acts of race discrimination and retaliation at the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), a lawsuit on behalf of former POST employee Starr Suggs was recently filed by Halunen Law employment attorneys Maria Shatonova and Colin Pasterski. POST is the regulatory agency in charge …