If you quit your job due to your concern that you may be exposed to COVID-19 at work, whether you are eligible for unemployment benefits will boil down to whether you had a “good reason to quit caused by the employer.” (See https://www.uimn.org/applicants/needtoknow/job-separations/index.jsp.) This is the same standard that applied before the pandemic. While the above-cited website explains that a “good reason to quit” is a reason “that would … [Read more...]
Can My Employer Require Me to Come to Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Some Minnesotans are concerned about working in an office or service industry workplace during COVID-19. They’ve asked our team of employment law attorneys whether their employer can require them to come in for their shift even if they’re feeling unsafe because of the Coronavirus. Your employer can never require you to work in an unsafe environment, and that includes during a pandemic. Furthermore, the pandemic does not abolish employees’ … [Read more...]
Is There a Time Limit for Filing a MN Employment Discrimination Claim?
All employment discrimination claims have statutes of limitations, or deadlines for asserting the claims. Discrimination is often prohibited by state, federal, and even municipal laws – each of which may identify a different deadline. Thus, the first step in figuring out your deadline for bringing a claim is to identify what law or laws apply. Then, the applicable law(s) will determine your deadlines. Understanding the Minnesota Human Rights … [Read more...]
5 Surprising Examples of Workplace Age Discrimination
Here are five examples of how and where age bias affects employees: 1. Age bias outside of tech The tech industry has been stereotyped as work for younger generations, and sure enough, we have seen numerous examples of tech companies or tech jobs being filled by younger workers while older workers are baselessly pushed out. This kind of age bias, however, is by no means limited to the tech industry or IT jobs. Layoffs and downsizing continue to … [Read more...]
Should I Sign a Severance Agreement If I Was Fired?
Losing a job can be absolutely devastating for employees. For many, learning that they have just been terminated causes strong emotions, creates tremendous uncertainty, and leaves the employee overwhelmed with a mind racing with thoughts and questions. Thus, unsurprisingly, as those thoughts and emotions are just starting to swirl around, it is certainly not a good time for most people to abruptly make significant legal and financial decisions. … [Read more...]
