Minneapolis Employment Law Blog

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 be afraid that if they report it, they could face retaliation and be terminated or face other negative employment actions.

This is the claim made by two employees of a for-profit Minnesota college. They both claim that because they had been open about what they viewed as serious problems with the admissions and accreditation process, they were subjected to negative employment actions. Both employees brought their claims under the Minnesota Whistleblower Act.

Certain employees of Minnesota state agencies used to find themselves in a difficult position as their fifty-fifth birthday approached. If they agreed to retire before they turned 55, the state would continue to pay the employer's portion of the employees insurance premiums, ranging from 85 to 100 percent, until the employee reached the age of 65. But, if the employee continued to work past the age of 55, the state would not pay any of their premiums once they retired. So while an employee that retired at 54 would have their retirement insurance premiums paid by the state, an employee retiring just a year later would be responsible for the full price of the retiree insurance premiums.

In response to this situation that was known as the 'Age 55 cliff,' the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed an age discrimination lawsuit against these agencies. The federal courts agreed that this practice constituted unlawful age discrimination. Now a court has approved a consent decree that requires the agency to pay restitution to the employees.

Some dedicated viewers of the hit television show "Mad Men" may find themselves enamored with the office environment portrayed in the show. Other viewers, who still enjoy the show, might find the office environment offensive as it is rife with gender discrimination.

The show depicts a fictional advertising agency in the early 1960's. In the universe of the show, the agency executives are portrayed as nearly continually smoking and drinking. Women in the show are almost exclusively in support and administrative roles. While much of the work environment depicted on the show may seem foreign to our current sensibilities, unfortunately some of these practices still occur in the modern workplace.

While losing a job is almost always a very significant event for the person who has been terminated, it generally does not receive widespread media attention. An ongoing wrongful termination lawsuit related to the firing of a Minnesota Senate staffer, however, is making the news after allegations that he was terminated in response to a romantic relationship that was allegedly occurring between himself and a Senator for whom he worked.

This high profile incident provides an opportunity for us to examine the context for the case in a way that is usually not possible when the situation involves people who are not the focus of the public spotlight.