Both U.S. and Minnesota law require employers with more than fifteen employees to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled workers, but the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and the Minnesota Human Rights Act (“MHRA”) provisions aren’t identical, and the differences can be important. Procedurally, a plaintiff must file a federal claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) or the Minnesota Department of … [Read more...]
COVID is here to stay: know your rights if it stays with you.
As COVID variants have cycled through the population, it has become clear that COVID is here to stay. What is less clear is how lingering symptoms of these variants, also known as “Long COVID” or “Post-COVID Conditions” will impact the health of those who have contracted these symptoms. ADA Protects Long COVID Employees Given the presence of Long COVID, employees must understand their rights so they are empowered to face their employers if … [Read more...]
BREAKING: Former Sr. Director Sues Target Corp. for Discrimination, Retaliation, and Defamation
Former Senior Director Sues Target Corporation for Discrimination, Retaliation, and Defamation Molly Haney, a former Senior Director terminated in September 2021 after almost fourteen years of exceptional performance, has sued Target Corporation in Hennepin County alleging disability and gender discrimination, retaliation, and defamation. She is represented by Lead Counsel Larry Schaefer at Schaefer Halleen, LLC, a Minneapolis-based Firm … [Read more...]
5 Surprising Ways Disability Discrimination Occurs in the Workplace
A prevalent aspect of discrimination is that it can be invisible to the people who do not experience it. In cases where discrimination is not overt, it can be especially difficult to convince others of its existence. Non-direct discrimination, which can often be unintentional, consistently targets people with disabilities, as those without disabilities take for granted privileges and accessibility that do not actually exist for various classes … [Read more...]
The Impact of COVID-19 on Disability Protections
As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic persist and employers struggle with both enforcing mandatory vaccination requirements and planning for return to work scenarios, many employees have questions and need guidance on when contracting COVID-19 qualifies as a disability, and what protections and/or accommodations an employer must provide when otherwise requiring employees to return to work. While there are often no “one-size-fits all” answers … [Read more...]
