State and federal law provides protections to individuals with disabilities, including requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations to them. Because alcoholism and drug addiction are recognized disabilities under these laws, individuals with such conditions have the same right to these protections. ADA Protections for Employees with Disabilities The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and the Minnesota Human Rights Act (“MHRA”) … [Read more...]
Key Considerations for Executives Negotiating Employment Agreements
Executives should expect to enter into an employment agreement when they start a new role. When reviewing the employer’s proposed agreement, executives should focus on the following. 1. Make sure the compensation is clear. You can’t know if you are being compensated fairly if you don’t know what you are being compensated. The agreement should clearly identify each aspect of the executive’s compensation. This can include salary and benefits, … [Read more...]
Employees Are Protected for Reporting Patient-Safety Issues
Healthcare professionals who complain about patient-safety and substandard healthcare are protected against retaliation from their employers. Generally speaking, the Minnesota Whistleblower Act (Minn. Stat. § 181.932) (“MWA”) protects employees who, in good faith, report a violation, suspected violation, or planned violation of law. To be protected, the report must be made to the employee’s employer, a government body, or law enforcement … [Read more...]
Federal Laws that Prohibit Employment Discrimination
Federal employment discrimination laws, and related retaliation laws, date back to the post-Civil War Reconstruction period. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was the first federal law to prohibit race discrimination in employment. Five years later, the government passed the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 to enforce the provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment and provide redress for discriminatory action taken by the government, but few people brought claims … [Read more...]
Expanding Mothers’ Rights to Express Milk at Work
This past summer, Minnesota amended its nursing mothers statute to ensure greater access to breaks for expressing milk. While taking time to express milk at work was already protected, new mothers have continued to face backlash at work for taking breaks to express milk and for needing a private room in which to do so. The amended law should help clarify mothers’ rights and hopefully minimize some of the negative feedback from employers. … [Read more...]
