Category: BLOG
Are Unpaid Internships Legal?
Many Minnesota high school and college students have taken unpaid internships in hopes of gaining experience that will make them eligible for a paid job. Internships are often given for college credit or a stipend, but sometimes companies simply offer the thrill of the opportunity as compensation. This practice has recently come under scrutiny, as …
Celebrating National Whistleblower Appreciation Day
On this National Whistleblower Day, Halunen Law recognizes the tremendous contribution that whistleblowers make to our everyday lives— protecting our health, safety, and taxes. These contributions have been happening since the earliest days of the United States. The Founding Fathers unanimously supported whistleblowers in both words and deeds, including providing government records and monetary assistance …
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Are You at Risk for Sexual Harassment or Sexual Assault at Your Job?
The #MeToo movement has shined light on sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace and work-related events. However, there is still a value in increasing knowledge, training, and education when it comes to sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace. In light of this, it’s vital that employees take the time to understand …
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Is It Legal Record a Conversation with My Employer?
As an employment law attorney, I am often asked, “Can I record a conversation with my employer without saying that I am recording it?” The answer depends on whether the state you are recording in requires a one-party or two-party consent and whether your employer has a company policy that prohibits employees from recording conversations.
COMPLAINTS ABOUT WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION MUST BE TIMELY
In a recent case in the Minneapolis school district, an employee was let go from her position. The employee complained to the school system’s equal opportunity division regarding what happened, and she alleged that workplace discrimination, harassment, and a number of financial improprieties were going on within the school system that led to her firing. The …
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Disgruntled Employees? You Bet. Whistleblowers in the United States
A few years back, a news article reported that a meeting of corporate defense attorneys had called out whistleblowers as primarily “disgruntled employees.” This remark reflects a too-common perspective that whistleblowers are a nuisance rather than a contributor to the well-being of our businesses and our government. Far from being a nuisance, whistleblowers are champions …
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Good News for Minnesota Employees with Disabilities: Recent Minnesota Supreme Court Decision Requires “Thorough Communication” about Accommodations
A new case decided by the Minnesota Supreme Court provides additional support to employees with disabilities—it clarifies that employers cannot terminate disabled employees who request an accommodation without a “thorough communication” and “documented good faith efforts” to see if the accommodation would actually pose an undue hardship. Under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, employers are …
WHISTLEBLOWERS AT MINNESOTA FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES
It is important that employees are able to report improper or dangerous conditions that they observe in their workplaces. When someone is aware that fraudulent or dangerous practices could negatively impact the public, they are often uniquely positioned to report the problem. Unfortunately, an employee who is aware of a violation of the law may …
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Supreme Court Further Denies Basic Rights to Workers & Consumers
Recently the U.S. Supreme Court struck another blow against consumers and employees in the case of Lamps Plus, Inc. v. Varela. Yet again the Court reasoned backward from the result it wanted to reach and went out of its way to find in favor of a corporate defendant – at the expense of individual citizens …
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Minnesota’s Connect 700 Program: Aiming to Increase Representation of Workers With Disabilities, But More Progress Is Needed
In 2014, a Minnesota demographic survey conducted on State employees showed that less than 4% self-identified as having a disability. When compared to the presence of employees with a disability statewide and nationwide, 7.9% and 10.5% respectively, it was evident that the State’s workforce did not reflect the diversity of Minnesota’s population of individuals with …