Minneapolis Minnesota Employment Attorney

Our Minneapolis employment attorneys are experienced in representing both employers and employees in employment law and litigation matters.

Minneapolis Employee Rights Lawyers

Our employment attorneys regularly represent employees in employee rights claims and litigation involving

unpaid wages
wrongful termination
discrimination
severe harassment in the workplace
workers compensation
unemployment appeals
breach of employment agreement

We understand that employees have limited financial resources, so we offer a number of options for cost-effective legal fees. If you feel you have been treated unfairly, please contact one of our employee rights attorneys to analyze your circumstances and explain your legal rights and options.

Minneapolis Employer Defense Attorneys

Unfortunately, some employees make false accusations or bring false claims. By representing both employees and employers, our employment law attorneys have a thorough understanding of both sides of the legal battle.

Our employment attorneys regularly advise business owners and employers on Minnesota and federal employment law to ensure legal compliance and handle difficult employees. We draft employee handbooks, HR policies, and defend businesses against improper employee claims.

Minnesota and Federal Employment Law

Our Minneapolis employment lawyers are well acquainted with Minnesota and federal employment laws including the following popular statutes.

Minnesota Employment Laws

Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act (MFLSA)
Minnesota Prevailing Wages Act (MPWA)
Minnesota Child Labor Act (MCLA)
Minnesota Parental Leave Act (MPLA)

Federal Employment Law

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) (minimum wage and overtime pay)
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (pregnancy and medical leave)
Consumer Credit Protection Act (wage garnishment)
Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (employee benefit plans)
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), (discrimination ‘based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin)
the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) (sex-based wage discrimination)
the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) (age based discrimination for 40 years old and older)
Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) (discrimination against disabled individuals)
Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (discrimination against the disabled federal jobs)
Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) (genetic information discrimination)
Civil Rights Act of 1991 (monetary damages for intentional discrimination)
Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)

Contact a Minnesota Employment Attorney

We are happy to work with Minnesota employees and employers. However, before you provide us with confidential information, please contact us to verify that we do not have a conflict of interest. After we verify that we do not represent the other side, we would be happy to discuss your circumstances, explain your legal rights and options, and potentially represent you.

Employment Law

Employment Agreements
When you obtain a position as an employee you will usually sign an employment agreement. This agreement is a contract established between the employee and employer that lays out the specifics of employment and what is excepted of the employee.
At-Will Employment
At-will employment is different than other types of employment because when a person agrees to at-will employment, they give up many of their legal rights that protect them from being fired. Therefore, a person with at-will employment may be let go any anytime and is without many legal rights to challenge their dismissal.
Discrimination
Employee Rights
Every employee is entitled to certain rights in the workplace. The employee rights are designed to protect them in the workplace from discrimination, dangerous surroundings, harassment, invasion of privacy and unfair treatment. If you feel your rights are being violated it is important to contact an attorney immediately to discuss your options.
Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
The Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act’s purpose is to establish minimum wage and overtime compensation standards. The qualifications for this to apply are relatively low so most employers are subject to the FLSA.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
The Family and Medical Leave Act gives eligible employees, working under employers that are covered, unpaid and job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. This protects employees from not being able to take care of their family or themselves because of fear of losing their job or status within that job.
Harassment
Harassment is another form of discrimination that can occur in the workplace. It is considered harassment if it is done against someone based on a specific quality such as gender or race and it is adequately harsh to create a hostile work atmosphere or if it results in a concrete change in an employee’s position or benefits.
Employment of Minors
There are a number of laws and regulations that employers should be aware of before hiring or employing minors in Minnesota. Our experienced employment attorneys can help advise you on how Minnesota minor employment laws could affect your business.
Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
The purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Act is to protect employees in their work environment. OSHA provides regulations of hazards that may exist in the workplace to ensure that employees are not unnecessarily exposed to risks.
Minnesota Parental Leave Act (MPLA)
Under the Minnesota Parental Leave Act, employees who are qualified under the Act are eligible for six weeks of unpaid leave for a biological or adoptive parent who has had a birth or adoption of a child.
Qui Tam
Qui tam refers to the method in the federal False Claims Act that gives a person or entity with evidence of fraud against federal programs the ability to sue the offender on behalf of the government. Therefore, it is a suit brought against the government by a private plaintiff and the federal government may or may not join in the lawsuit.
Settlement, Mediation, and Negotiation of Claims
When trying to solve disputes that arise between employees and employers, lawsuits and litigation are not the only answer. Oftentimes the matter can be addressed through negotiation, mediation and a settlement. This can be beneficial to both sides because it avoids long time consuming and expensive trials.
Unemployment Appeals
With high unemployment, businesses have begun to appeal unemployment insurance applications by previous employees more often. Therefore, it is important to strengthen your appeal for unemployment by determining if you have the proper grounds for a claim or consulting an attorney to discuss how to combat the employer’s appeal.
Unpaid Wages
If you are owed unpaid wages from not being paid what you were supposed to be or not receiving overtime, there are ways of insuring that your past or current employer pays them.
Whistleblower Protection
Whistleblower protections are a relatively new category of protections for employees. In general, they protect employees from retaliation by their employer if they complain about the company. This is to protect the employee’s ability to speak out against an employer if they are doing something wrong.
Workers' Compensation
Wrongful Termination
While a significant amount terminations occur every day, distinguishing legitimate ones and those that are wrongful can be difficult. If your termination was based on discriminatorily matters, because you were claiming harassment or a number of other reasons, you may have been wrongfully terminated.