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Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies that Whistleblowers Have 6 Years to File Claim

January 30, 2016/in Blog

What is the statute of limitations for a whistleblower claim in Minnesota? That was the question posed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in Ford v. Minneapolis Public Schools. In a unanimous decision, the Court has ruled that whistleblowers have six years to bring a lawsuit against an employer under the Minnesota Whistleblower Act (“MWA”). […]

Wage Theft Significant Problem, Minneapolis City Council to Address

January 6, 2016/in Blog

Wage theft is the illegal practice of employers not paying workers for their labor, or their work. Wage theft includes failing to pay minimum wage, failing to pay overtime, failing to pay workers the wage that was promised, forcing workers to work ‘off the clock,’ and many other illegal practices. Wage theft is a major […]

Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies that Whistleblowers Have 6 Years to File Claim

January 30, 2016/in Blog

Wage Theft Significant Problem, Minneapolis City Council to Address

January 6, 2016/in Blog

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Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies that Whistleblowers Have 6 Years to File Claim

January 30, 2016/in Blog

What is the statute of limitations for a whistleblower claim in Minnesota? That was the question posed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in Ford v. Minneapolis Public Schools. In a unanimous decision, the Court has ruled that whistleblowers have six years to bring a lawsuit against an employer under the Minnesota Whistleblower Act (“MWA”).

In Ford, the employee reported unethical and illegal activity in her department and, shortly thereafter, on April 22, 2008, was notified that her position would be eliminated at the end of the school year. Her last day of work was June 30, 2008, and she began her lawsuit on June 29, 2010. The Minneapolis Public Schools sought to dismiss her case by arguing that a two year statute of limitations applies to the MWA and the clock began to tick the moment she learned of her termination. The Supreme Court agreed that the statute of limitations began to run in April, the moment she learned of her termination, but that a six-year statute of limitations applies to the MWA. The decision can be found here.

Every law that protects employees has its own statute of limitation, which can range from ten days to six years. Employees must take action within the appropriate statute of limitations or they likely will forfeit any opportunity to do so in the future.

If you feel you have been treated unfairly at work, do not risk a statute of limitations deadline and contact the attorneys at Teske Katz Kitzer & Rochele Micko for a consultation right away.

Wage Theft Significant Problem, Minneapolis City Council to Address

January 6, 2016/in Blog

Wage theft is a major problem in the United States, and in Minnesota in particular. In fact, the Minneapolis City Council has recently announced its intent to address the widespread problem of wage theft, according to media coverage.

It is encouraging to see the Minneapolis City Council’s interest in addressing this widespread and growing problem. But it is important for workers to know that federal and state laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act both provide legal recourse for some of the problems of wage theft. In fact, Teske Katz Kitzer & Rochel, in collaboration with Nichols Kaster, recently helped expand the potential theories of recovery available to workers who are not paid at the rate that they were promised, in Shoots v. iQor Holdings, Inc.

One of the problems allowing for wage theft are workers not being fully aware of all of their rights under existing laws, as well as new laws that may be passed, such as Minneapolis’s goal of city council action. If you have questions about wage theft, or are concerned that you and/or your coworkers are not being paid for work, or are not being paid fairly, contact Teske Katz Kitzer & Rochel today.

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