We previously wrote about our $1.2 million jury verdict in federal court in North Dakota on behalf of a physician who was terminated after he spoke out against his clinic’s discriminatory treatment of a colleague.  The Court has since ruled on both parties’ post-trial motions, and ultimately raised the award to $2.1 million.

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Aaron Benner started teaching at St. Paul Public Schools in 1995 and earned immediate praise for his outstanding results and devotion to students.  He earned tenure in 1999 and was nominated for Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 2005.  He was the only black male teacher at Johnson Elementary during the 2014-15 school year.

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Dr. Robert Roswick worked as a family practice physician at Mid Dakota Clinic in Bismarck, North Dakota.  He felt that Mid Dakota’s CEO and Board of Directors were racially discriminating against an Indian-American colleague of his by pushing forward with termination without allowing the colleague the same due process rights afforded to other shareholders at the Clinic.

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Here at Madia Law, a huge number of the clients we serve are people that have been injured while at work.

In Minnesota, your employer must pay for your care if you are injured at work.  Employers in Minnesota are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance and use that insurance when an employee has been injured on the job.

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Here at Madia Law, a huge number of the clients we serve are people that have been injured while at work.

In Minnesota, your employer must pay for your care if you are injured at work.  Employers in Minnesota are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance and use that insurance when an employee has been injured on the job.

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Image: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/244475

The short answer is: NO.  Your employer cannot fire you if you are pregnant.

And, to that end, in Minnesota your employer also cannot place you on an involuntary, unpaid leave when it finds out you are pregnant.

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First of all – if you’ve just been terminated or laid off from your job and you’re looking for answers – we’re sorry that you’re going through this experience. In our country, we often identify with our jobs as part of who we are: losing a job can feel like losing part of your identity. Especially if you’ve given years of your life to a company, built relationships and friendships with your coworkers, and enjoy the work, losing a job can be devastating. On top of that, you’ve likely got more immediate concerns about how you’re going to pay the bills after losing your job and continue to support yourself and your family. We’re truly and sincerely sorry that you’re dealing with this. And I hope this article can help provide some answers.

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Workplace Fairness Law in Minnesota – the Basics.

Here’s a quick primer on workplace fairness in Minnesota.  Unfortunately, there’s no state or federal law mandating “fairness” at work.  There’s no law saying that employers need to hire good bosses or kind employees, or that employers need to make good business decisions.  So the bad news is that your employer doesn’t have to be “fair” to you.

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We Represent Minneapolis Employees.

Corporations and big businesses will always be able to pay corporate lawyers to defend them.  For most corporations, paying hourly rates of $400 – $500 to attorneys to litigate their cases is no big deal.  And – there’s no shortage of corporate law firms willing to accept the money and do their bidding.

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Wrongful Termination in Minneapolis

Minnesota is an “at-will” employment state and Minneapolis is an “at will” employment city. That means that your employer can fire you for any reason or no reason at all – even a stupid, incorrect, unfair, or unethical reason – provided that it’s not an illegal reason.

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Yesterday, Madia Law Attorney Joshua Newville argued before the Minnesota Supreme Court in Sanchez v. Dahlke Trailer Sales, Inc., No. 15-1183. The precedent-setting case has enormous implications for undocumented workers who are injured on the job in Minnesota.

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If you are an individual considering service in the uniformed services or a service member returning from a deployment, you may have questions or concerns about your potential or current employment.  In 1994, Congress enacted the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (“USERRA”).  38 U.S.C. § 4301.  The legislation acts “to encourage noncareer service,” “to minimize the disruption to the lives of persons performing service,” and “to prohibit discrimination against persons because of their service.”  The USERRA may help you make the decision to become a member of the uniformed services or may protect you if you are already a member.

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Last week, a Minnesota man was awarded $3.5 million after he was ousted from a family banking business.

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On Monday, June 6, 2016, Madia Law secured a victory at the Minnesota Court of Appeals on behalf of an injured, undocumented worker who was fired after pursuing workers’ compensation benefits.

The case is a win for undocumented workers, as the Defendant argued that such workers are not entitled to the protections of Minnesota anti-reprisal laws.

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Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling affecting the statute of limitations (the period of time in which one is allowed to file a lawsuit for alleged unlawful acts) for constructive discharge claims.

In Green v. Brennan, the plaintiff employee had worked as a postmaster in Colorado. After he was denied a promotion that was given to another employee with less seniority and lesser qualifications, he filed a complaint alleging racial discrimination. He later filed a subsequent complaint of retaliation.

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On Wednesday, Madia Law joined the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Ebeltoft Sickler in requesting that the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota approve a quarter-million dollar settlement and consent decree.

The case, EEOC and Matthew Clark v. American Casing & Equipment, Inc., No. 4:15-CV-66-DLH/CSM (D. N.D.) stems from Madia Law client Matthew Clark’s filing of a charge of discrimination in February 2014, a few weeks after he was fired by American Casing & Equipment, Inc. (“American Casing”). After the EEOC found probable cause to conclude that American Casing engaged in discrimination and retaliation, the EEOC and Mr. Clark filed suit against the company in federal court.

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On March 23, 2016, a three-judge panel of the Minnesota Court of Appeals will hold a non-oral hearing in Sanchez v. Dahlke Trailer Sales, Inc., No. 15-1183. The precedent-setting case has enormous implications for undocumented workers who are injured on the job in Minnesota.

In our justice system there are multiple options for resolving disputes. Most often people associate our justice system with a Court of Law – one party files a lawsuit against another party and then the two duke it out in court.

While this is certainly a method of dispute resolution used often, and certainly a process with which Madia Law is familiar, it is not the only way to resolve an issue between two parties. (more…)

Workplace safety laws and regulations exist to ensure that employers, particularly those in dangerous industries, keep their employees as safe as possible. An employer’s failure to abide by such laws can and should mean serious consequences. That’s exactly what isn’t happening in North Dakota’s booming oil and gas industry.

Last Week Tonight host John Oliver spent twenty minutes talking about the problem on his show last night:

Since 2006, there has been an average of at least one death every six weeks in North Dakota’s oil fields. Yet, as Oliver explains, the lack of regulation and enforcement in North Dakota, combined with legal loopholes, have given employers little incentives to substantively address the safety epidemic