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Employment, Labor and Benefits

By Phyllis Karasov and Silas Petersen

On October 26, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a final rule redefining “joint employers” under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).  Approved three-to-one along partisan lines, the new rule mirrors the Board’s proposed rule that was published in September 2022.  The new rule expands the definition

Last week, we posted a blog addressing how the recent legalization of recreational cannabis in Minnesota may affect employee drug-testing policies. We now direct our attention to employers with questions about their general drug and alcohol policies. Here are some things to consider when changing an existing drug and alcohol policy.

Understanding the Law

As

On August 1, 2023, recreational marijuana and cannabis products became legal in the state of Minnesota. Employers are now asking how this new law affects their employment policies and procedures. In the first of a two-part series of blog posts on how the legalization of marijuana affects drug and alcohol polices, we address whether employers

In previous posts, we have discussed changes enacted by the Minnesota legislature regarding employment law.  The legislature also passed a number of bills which, although perhaps less significant than the ban on non-compete agreements, legalizing cannabis and providing paid sick and safe time, are still important for employers to know.

Pay Transparency

Minnesota

Although several cities already have enacted sick and safe time ordinances, the Minnesota legislature has made earned sick and safe time (ESST) a state requirement. The statute becomes effective on January 1, 2024.

All Minnesota employers must provide employees who perform services for at least 80 hours per year, up to 48 hours of ESST

The Minnesota legislature has enacted a statute rendering noncompetition agreements in the employment context unenforceable, provided they are entered into after the effective date.  Governor Walz is expected to sign the bill.  The legislation applies to all future covenants not to compete and will take effect on July 1, 2023.  Consequently, this new statute does not apply to

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a significant decision threatening the viability of provisions routinely included in employment settlement agreements.  In the McLaren Macomb decision, the NLRB ruled that an employer violated the National Labor Relations Act (the “Act”) when it offered severance agreements to 11 terminated employees containing confidentiality, nondisclosure and non-disparaging provisions.

On January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposed rule which, if enacted, would ban most non-compete clauses in employment contracts. The rule would also require employers to rescind existing non-compete clauses with its workers and provide those workers with written notice that the non-competes have been rescinded.

This rule, if enacted

The 2023 Minnesota Legislative session has begun and two legislative employment proposals that have been in the mix in previous years may finally be enacted because of Democratic control of both chambers of the legislature. It is expected that some form of these two proposals will become law this session. The first would create a

Minnesota employers who conduct pre-employment drug testing or drug testing of current employees are familiar with the protections for employees who are enrolled in the Department of Health Patient Registry Program for medical marijuana.  An employer cannot discriminate against a person enrolled on the Patient Registry in hiring, termination or any term or condition of