The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a lot of people getting laid off, fired, or furloughed. Many people who fall into this category have questions about employment law issues. That’s our topic for this article.
Minnesota Law
Under Minnesota law, an employer cannot terminate, discipline, threaten, or penalize an employee because the employee is (or has been) in isolation or quarantine due to COVID-19 (or another communicable disease) for up to 21 consecutive workdays. Minn. Stat. 144.4196.
To be protected under the statute, you must be in either:
- (1) “isolation” meaning separation, during the period of communicability, of a person infected with a communicable disease, in a place and under conditions so as to prevent direct or indirect transmission of an infectious agent to others; or
- (2) “quarantine” meaning restriction, during a period of communicability, of activities or travel of an otherwise healthy person who likely has been exposed to a communicable disease to prevent disease transmission during the period of communicability in the event the person is infected.
If you have been terminated, asked to resign, penalized, or have lost wages or benefits due to COVID-19 pandemic, and you have been either in isolation or quarantine, you may be able to recover damages. You may also be able to recover if you have had to leave work to care for a dependent or loved one due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Contact an Employment Attorney
If you or anyone you know has an employment related issue due to COVID-19 pandemic, please contact our office (612) 294-2200. We understand this is a difficult time for the entire nation and we are committed to providing support and representation to those effected by COVID-19.
