Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 8, August 19, 2024
Section 181.531 - EMPLOYER-SPONSORED MEETINGS OR COMMUNICATIONSubdivision 1.Prohibition.An employer or the employer's agent, representative, or designee must not discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize or threaten to discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize or take any adverse employment action against an employee:
(1) because the employee declines to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting or declines to receive or listen to communications from the employer or the agent, representative, or designee of the employer if the meeting or communication is to communicate the opinion of the employer about religious or political matters;(2) as a means of inducing an employee to attend or participate in meetings or receive or listen to communications described in clause (1); or(3) because the employee, or a person acting on behalf of the employee, makes a good-faith report, orally or in writing, of a violation or a suspected violation of this section.Subd. 2.Remedies.An aggrieved employee may bring a civil action to enforce this section no later than 90 days after the date of the alleged violation in the district court where the violation is alleged to have occurred or where the principal office of the employer is located. The court may award a prevailing employee all appropriate relief, including injunctive relief, reinstatement to the employee's former position or an equivalent position, back pay and reestablishment of any employee benefits, including seniority, to which the employee would otherwise have been eligible if the violation had not occurred and any other appropriate relief as deemed necessary by the court to make the employee whole. The court shall award a prevailing employee reasonable attorney fees and costs.
Subd. 3.Notice.(a) The commissioner shall develop an educational poster providing notice of employees' rights provided under this section. The notice shall be available in English and the five most common languages spoken in Minnesota.(b) An employer subject to this section shall post and keep posted the notice of employee rights created pursuant to this subdivision in a place where employee notices are customarily located within the workplace. Subd. 4.Scope.This section does not:
(1) prohibit communications of information that the employer is required by law to communicate, but only to the extent of the lawful requirement;(2) limit the rights of an employer or its agent, representative, or designee to conduct meetings involving religious or political matters so long as attendance is wholly voluntary or to engage in communications so long as receipt or listening is wholly voluntary; or(3) limit the rights of an employer or its agent, representative, or designee from communicating to its employees any information, or requiring employee attendance at meetings and other events, that is necessary for the employees to perform their lawfully required job duties.Subd. 5.Definitions.For the purposes of this section:
(1) "political matters" means matters relating to elections for political office, political parties, proposals to change legislation, proposals to change regulations, proposals to change public policy, and the decision to join or support any political party or political, civic, community, fraternal, or labor organization; and(2) "religious matters" means matters relating to religious belief, affiliation, and practice and the decision to join or support any religious organization or association.Amended by 2024 Minn. Laws, ch. 110,s 7-3, eff. 10/1/2024.Added by 2023 Minn. Laws, ch. 53,s 11-25, eff. 8/1/2023.