A recent Minnesota Court of Appeals decision affirmed that funds like endowment funds, held by charitable organizations, will generally be considered gifts and not contracts. More >
New pay equity requirements have already taken effect in 2019 in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon, and the State of Washington. And this trend isn’t slowing down, as even more requirements are slated to take effect in fall 2019 and beyond, including in Colorado, Oregon, New York, and New Jersey. Employers should take care to review their recruiting, interviewing, and other hiring practices—many of these new laws join the growing, nationwide trend banning pre-employment inquiries about salary history. More >
In recent years, some investors have grown increasingly vocal about pay equity issues, with a few investor funds calling on companies to publish compensation data by gender. While the intentions are commendable, its approach is problematic because the median pay gap is easily misinterpreted as a measure of “all things being equal.” More >
The Minneapolis Wage Theft Prevention Ordinance will go into effect on January 1, 2020, requiring employers to provide wage notices and comply with various recordkeeping requirements for employees who work at least 80 hours per year in the City of Minneapolis. We've highlighted the FAQs and Rules that differ from the guidance provided on the state wage theft statute More >
Manufacturers of personal transportation and other micromobility devices—as well as providers of sharing networks for such devices—can save hundreds of thousands of dollars in litigation fees by taking proactive steps to avoid potential legal claims and successfully defend against claims that do occur. One area where manufacturers and retailers can mitigate risk is in their customer and vendor contracts. More >
The U.S. Department of Labor announced a proposed rule that would allow employers who do not take a tip credit to establish a tip pool to be shared between (1) workers who receive tips and are paid the full minimum wage and (2) employees who do not traditionally receive tips, such as dishwashers and cooks. While this is an important change to federal wage-and-hour laws, the critical point for Minnesota restaurateurs is that this proposed rule, if enacted, does not affect Minnesota’s unique tip-pooling laws and regulations. More >
Approximately two years ago, a number of employers received charges of discrimination alleging that they discriminated against applicants by restricting the recipients of employment advertisements on Facebook. The EEOC just found reasonable cause on the first seven such charges; and more probable cause determinations seem likely in the near future. Employers who have not yet been targeted should take steps now to prepare. More >
The Wage Theft Statute requires Minnesota employers to provide employees with a written notice outlining specific terms of employment, including things like the employee’s rate of pay, paid time off and vacation policies, and whether the employee is exempt from Minnesota’s minimum wage, overtime, and other provisions. The statute also adds requirements to recordkeeping, the frequency of pay, and earnings statements. Here are the basics of the new law. More >
Nonprofit Board Chair job descriptions usually include phrases like “facilitate consensus” and “ensure all voices are heard.” I agree with those job descriptions. In my experience, Board Chairs generally understand that part of the job. However, there is sometimes a disconnect between the Board Chair’s job description and the expectations of the nonprofit’s CEO/ED. More >
On September 24, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced its final rule regarding the salary threshold for exemption from overtime, raising the salary threshold to $684 per week ($35,568 annually) versus the previous $455 per week ($23,660 annually) amount that has existed since 2004. The effective date is January 1, 2020, meaning that employers must ensure that exempt employees’ salaries meet this threshold by the new year or transition them to non-exempt status with eligibility for overtime. More >
