In today's political climate, federal workers in Minnesota and nationwide may have heard about recent reports regarding "gag orders" on those who work for federal agencies. However, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which is the government entity tasked with enforcing the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act, has issued requirements that federal agencies ensure that their policies allow workers to "blow the whistle."
Federal workers who qualify as whistleblowers have legal rights
50 years after the ADEA, age discrimination is still an issue
Older workers in Minnesota bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the workplace,. Unfortunately, some employers view them as "dinosaurs," too expensive and out-of-touch to either hire or keep around. However, under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act or ADEA, employers who have at least 20 employees cannot discriminate against any worker between the ages of 40 to 65 in hiring workers, promoting workers, laying off workers or other employment actions. In fact, 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of this law.
Bill on cities' labor mandates passes Minnesota House committee
While the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are set to have new paid sick leave mandates in 2017, there are those in opposition to the mandates. A House bill that would keep cities from being able to institute city-wide benefit and wage mandates that are greater than those provided by state law was the subject of a hearing before the house job growth committee recently. The bill would block local governments from promulgating regulations with regards to minimum benefits, employee scheduling, mandatory paid leave and minimum wages. The bill passed the committee by a vote of 13 to 9. The vote was split along political party lines; the majority members of this particular committee are Republicans.
Wrongfully terminated? An attorney can help you
You only had your job for three years and you were still a relatively new staff member in a small accounting firm compared to the rest of your colleagues that had been there for 10 years or more. Everything had been going well. You got on well with your co-workers and your boss, and you enjoyed your work. Things started to change six months ago when a new manager (a friend of the owner) was hired.
Whistleblowers should not be afraid to report employer misconduct
People in Minnesota like to think their employers are ethical, but this is not always the case. Sometimes some employers in Minnesota commit acts of fraud against the government. Should an employee find this out, they may feel ethically bound to report the acts to the proper authorities. To do so, they can file a suit called a "qui tam action." Under this kind of lawsuit, the government can be compensated for the funds it lost because of an employer's fraudulent acts. The employee who brought the lawsuit is then awarded a certain percentage of the funds recovered.
What is Minnesota's 'Equal Pay for Equal Work Law'?
In this day and age, it may seem like to days of discrimination in the workplace based on sex are behind us. After all, many women are able to rise through the ranks in their chosen fields to positions of leadership, and conversely, men have been able to pursue work in occupations such as teaching and nursing that have traditionally been held by women. However, wage discrimination based on sex still unfortunately occurs, and it is illegal.
Is unemployment compensation available to workers who quit?
Some Minnesota workers, for one reason or another, are compelled to quit their jobs. In general, workers who quit their job are not eligible to receive unemployment compensation. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.
