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...]
Proving Promotion and Hiring Discrimination
Discrimination litigation typically involves challenges to termination decisions, harassment/hostile work environments, or compensation decisions. There are far fewer reported cases alleging discrimination in promotion or hiring decisions. That’s not because bias less frequently infects promotion and hiring decisions. Rather, it’s because courts have erected hurdles to successfully proving discrimination in these cases. It’s also because … [Read more...]
5 Types of Modern-Day Workplace Discrimination
Federal and state laws prohibit employers from discriminating against a job applicant or an employee because of the individual’s race, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), age, or disability. These five types of workplace discrimination are described in more detail below. Race Discrimination in Minnesota Race discrimination involves treating an individual unfavorably because he or she is … [Read more...]
Minnesota Supreme Court Corrects a 30-Year Old Mistake
A few weeks ago Keith Daniel, a Minneapolis firefighter who’d injured his ankle on the job, received a $500,000 jury verdict against the Fire Department. Because of the injury, he needed to wear special tennis shoes most of the time to avoid painful swelling of his feet, but he could wear regular boots or other required footwear when on a rescue or fire-fighting run. The Fire Department, however, insisted that he wear regulation footwear all … [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...]
