Every year, the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry announces the inflation-adjusted minimum wage rate.
Articles Discussing General Issues In Minnesota Labor & Employment Law.
Minnesota Legalizes THC Products, Germinates New Drug-Free Workplace Issues
In a move that surprised even some lawmakers who passed the bill, Minnesota recently became the latest state to legalize some form of marijuana for recreational use. As of July 1, 2022, Minnesotans who are at least 21 years old can lawfully purchase and consume edible and drinkable products
Minnesota Legalizes the Consumption of THC Edibles—How Can Multistate Employers React to This Growing National Trend?
On June 2, 2022, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed House File (H.F.) 4065 into law, a measure that provides clarity regarding hemp-derived consumables stemming from the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the 2018 Farm Bill.
Firing on All Four Cylinders: Bloomington, Minnesota Becomes the Fourth Minnesota City to Mandate Paid Sick and Safe Time
On June 6, 2022, the Bloomington City Council passed an Earned Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance
Goodbye to McDonnell Douglas Under the Minnesota Whistleblower Act?
On April 6, 2022, Minnesota’s Supreme Court in Lori Dowling Hanson v. State of Minnesota, Department of Natural Resources affirmed the lower courts’ summary dismissal of a Minnesota Whistleblower Act (“MWA”) claim brought by a former Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) employee Lori Dowling Hanson (“Hanson”). The case left unanswered
Minnesota Enacts Legislation Funding Unemployment Coffers, Authorizing Pay to Frontline Workers, and Requiring Notice
On April 29, 2022, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed Senate File (S.F.) No. 2677 into law, replenishing the state unemployment coffers and authorizing payments to various frontline workers. This new law requires Minnesota employers to provide notice to eligible frontline workers regarding potential additional benefits available to them.
McDonnell Douglas Lives Another Day: A Win for Employers at the Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court recently reaffirmed the use of the familiar McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework to analyze claims of retaliation under Minnesota law, despite the ask by the plaintiff-appellant and amici to abolish using that framework. The court also affirmed the requirement that employees show evidence of an employer’s
Minnesota Legislative Update: Employment-Related Bills to Watch
The Minnesota Legislature, currently in regular session until mid- to late May 2022, has drafted various bills that may impact Minnesota employers and employees. Notably, some of the major bills under consideration (or already enacted) include a hair antidiscrimination bill, a measure extending the COVID-19 presumption of workers’ compensation eligibility
Minnesota Extends Workers’ Compensation Presumption for Frontline Workers Who Test Positive for COVID-19
On February 4, 2022, Governor Tim Walz signed House File (H.F.) 1203 into law, which extends the presumption that certain frontline healthcare workers contracted COVID-19 at work if they test positive. The prior presumption had expired on December 31, 2021.
Minneapolis Amends COVID-19 Emergency Regulation Following U.S. Supreme Court Ruling
Minnesota OSHA Pumps the Brakes on Federal OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard
Minnesota’s Occupational Safety Administration (MNOSHA) adopted the federal Occupational Safety Health Administration’s (OSHA) COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on January 3, 2022, and began enforcing the rules on January 10, 2022. Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United stayed the enforcement of the ETS and remanded the
Minneapolis and St. Paul to Require Proof of Vaccination or Negative Test for Certain Businesses
Beginning January 19, 2022, both the City of Minneapolis and City of St Paul, Minnesota, will require businesses where food or drink is sold for indoor onsite consumption to require patrons show proof of a completed vaccination series or a negative COVID-19 test obtained within three days (72 hours) prior to entry.
Twin Cities Issue Vaccine Mandates for Restaurants, Bars, and Entertainment Venues
On January 12, 2022, just one week after issuing mask mandates, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter issued executive orders mandating that places of public accommodation serving food and drinks indoors require persons to furnish proof of vaccination or negative PCR or antigen tests. Then, on
Duluth Follows Minneapolis and St. Paul in Telling Minnesotans ‘Mask Up!’
As the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul did last week, Duluth’s mayor, Emily Larson, issued an indoor mask mandate, effective January 13, 2022, due to the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
Minnesota OSHA Pumps the Breaks on Federal OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard
Minnesota’s Occupational Safety Administration (MNOSHA) adopted the federal Occupational Safety Health Administration’s (OSHA) COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on January 3, 2022, and began enforcing the rules on January 10, 2022. Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United stayed the enforcement of the ETS and remanded the
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