Category: EMPLOYMENT
Minneapolis Mayor Signs New Requirements for Wearing Face Masks that Implicates Employers
COVID-19 has radically changed the lives of billions, and if you are living in Minneapolis, Minnesota there are new and developing requirements for face masks, issued by Mayor Jacob Frey. On May 21, 2020, Mayor Frey issued an emergency regulation, which requires people in the City of Minneapolis to wear face masks—homemade, surgical, N95, or …
EEOC: NATIONAL ORIGIN DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS ARE SKYROCKETING
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the number of discrimination complaints based on national origin has risen by 76 percent in just the past 15 years. In 2011, more than 11,800 complaints were filed alleging workplace discrimination based on English-speaking ability or having an accent. For example, a contract driver for FedEx in Utah, says …
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Alcoholism and Drug Addiction as a Disability
The current opioid epidemic afflicting our nation brings up complex issues regarding drug or alcohol addiction, employee rights, and what constitutes a disability. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”) and the Minnesota Human Rights Act (“MHRA”) generally protect employees with alcoholism or drug addiction (as disabled) if the employees can perform the essential …
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DO ANTI-DISCRIMINATION AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWS PROTECT TEMPS?
During the economic downturn, many Minnesota workers may have turned to temporary employment or staffing agencies to find work. Temporary and contract workers often have different benefits, contracts, and responsibilities than permanent employees, but do they have different employee rights in the workplace? Both state and federal laws protect employees from being treated unfairly on the basis …
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Protections for Employees: Reporting Abuse Against Vulnerable Adults
“The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy, and the handicapped.” .- Hubert H. Humphrey Through their state-granted licenses, healthcare facilities …
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EEOC SUES WALMART FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) initiated a lawsuit against Wal-Mart alleging that the retail-giant allowed an employee to sexually abuse a female employee over a number of years, and then retaliating against the woman when she complained of the abuse. According to a complaint filed in federal district court, the woman, who is developmentally …
EEOC URGES RETHINKING ON USE OF BACKGROUND CHECKS IN HIRING
If you are a Minnesota employer that uses criminal background checks when making hiring decisions, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission wants you to rethink how you use those checks in the hiring process. The EEOC issued new guidelines that although are not ‘legally binding’ they will be used by the EEOC when it enforces claims …
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In Minnesota, Is Workplace Bullying Against the Law?
Minnesota workers are protected under employment law from discrimination at work on the basis of their gender, race, age, disability or religion. But, what happens when the perpetrator is an equal opportunity offender? A recent news story examines this new trend in the workplace – bullying. This behavior consists of supervisors hassling their subordinates byway of poor …
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EEOC LACKS PROOF OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN HIRING, COURT SAYS
A federal judge dismissed a racial discrimination lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that a hiring policy by test preparation company Kaplan discriminated against African American applicants. The test preparation company reviewed the credit history of job applicants and declined to hire those with imperfect credit histories. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission …
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Can My Employer Require Me to Come to Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, workers across Minnesota are asking one simple question: Question: Can my employer require me to come to work during the pandemic? The short answer: You may be able to refuse to work if you reasonably believe your working conditions present an imminent danger of death or serious physical harm to yourself …
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