On May 13, 2020, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued Executive Order 20-54, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Among other things, the Governor’s executive order provides rights to Minnesota employees that all workers should be aware of. First, the executive order prohibits employers from discriminating or retaliating against employees who ask their employers questions […]
Your boss calls you into a meeting with human resources. Suddenly, you find yourself without a job and without a clue what the next step will be. Situations like this are difficult, but here are some steps to take to make sure you are able to exercise your rights and confidently move toward your next […]
On April 22, 2019, the Supreme Court granted petitions for writs of certiorari in three LGBT employment cases. Each of the three cases addresses whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 offers protection against discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. In Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, […]
On February 27, 2019, the Minnesota Supreme Court issued a major decision in favor of employees. The case, Daniel v. Minneapolis, addressed whether an employee who is disabled as a result of a work injury can bring a claim under the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA). For decades, such employees were prohibited from filing MHRA […]
Employees who report illegal conduct by a company may be whistleblowers. A whistleblower may be entitled to substantial monetary awards for reporting fraud and is generally protected from retaliation. If whistleblowers do experience retaliation, they may have additional legal claims. Frequently, when an employee discovers fraud at work or by their employer, they may seek […]
As lawyers representing employees, we are often asked when it is a good idea to have a lawyer review a severance agreement. The short answer is: almost always. First, any severance agreement that releases legal claims (virtually all of them do) requires an employee to know whether they have any legal claims that they are […]
The “me too” and “time’s up” movements focus primarily on sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace. But the movements have also raised awareness of a problem that has persisted throughout U.S. history: gender pay disparity. The gender pay gap is the gap between what men and women are paid. It refers to the average annual pay […]
On September 14, 2018, TKKR Employment Attorney Phillip Kitzer spoke on a panel sponsored by the Labor & Employment Section of the FBA at the Federal Bar Association’s National Conference in New York City. The panel, titled “#MeToo: Implementation and Administration of an Effective Anti-Harassment Policy,” discussed various legal issues arising out of the #MeToo movement, […]
On August 3, 2018, TKKR partner Phillip Kitzer presented at a half-day advanced labor and employment law seminar in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Mr. Kitzer presented on the changing law related to LGBT discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The presentation covered the history of “sex discrimination” since the bill’s passage, […]
On July 24, 2018, TKKR attorneys Phillip Kitzer and Brian Rochel presented a webcast sponsored by Minnesota CLE as part of the Workers’ Compensation series. The webcast, titled The Intersection of Disability, FMLA and Workers’ Compensation Retaliation Laws, addressed the complicated employment issues that arise for employers and employees when dealing with a work-related injury, disabilities, […]
