MINNESOTA

EMPLOYMENT LAW

REPORT

The Minnesota Employment Law Report is our award – winning blog offering expert insight to the business community concerning employee relations, labor law, employee benefits, employment litigation and much more.

Ninth Circuit Cases Highlight Pitfalls with FCRA Background Check Disclosure Language

Ryan A. Olson, Grant S. Gibeau

Running background checks on employees and applicants provides several pitfalls for employers to be wary of, and two cases out of the Ninth Circuit go into depth regarding specific requirements…

Remember the Rules for Employee Time Off to Vote

Dennis J. Merley, Grant S. Gibeau

With Election Day just over a week away, we thought it would be helpful to publish a reminder about how to respond to employees seeking time off to cast their…

Off-Duty Marijuana Distribution Blazes Trail for Unemployment Compensation Denial

Dennis J. Merley

The Minnesota Court of Appeals gave us the straight dope on whether off-duty behavior can be considered misconduct that disqualifies a terminated employee from receiving unemployment compensation benefits. A Budding…

Remember the Rules for Employee Time Off to Vote

Dennis J. Merley, Grant S. Gibeau

Although this is not a presidential election year, interest in the upcoming mid-term election seems to be running high. Therefore, it is a good idea to review the legal requirements…

Monkey See, Monkey Do: Yes That Wild Monkey Can Sue You

Dennis J. Merley

Normally, we just focus on employment-related matters but we could not pass up this chance for a good laugh at the expense of the legal system. In what sounds like…

Drug Tested Employee Can be Fired For Rejecting Agreed-Upon Treatment Provider

Dennis J. Merley

We rarely see reported cases interpreting Minnesota’s workplace drug testing law so when such a decision is handed down, it is usually worth a look. That certainly proved true when…

Colorado OK’s Firing Employee Using Medical Marijuana

Dennis J. Merley

The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that an employer legally fired an employee whose off-duty use of medical marijuana under state law resulted in a positive drug test and violation…

Court Stirs the Pot on Medical Marijuana and Drug Tests

Dennis J. Merley

Like almost half the states and the District of Columbia, Minnesota has now legalized marijuana to treat certain medical conditions. With distribution set to begin this July, many Minnesota employers…

Employees Head Back to the Polls on November 4th

Grant T. Collins

On Tuesday, November 4, 2014, Minnesotans head back to the polls. As we’ve reminded employers in the past, Minnesota’s Election Day Law, Minn. Stat. § 204C.04, gives employees the right…