The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) announced it has entered into a consent order with medical clinic Sanford to require that it comply with Minnesota laws that provide pregnant employees with reasonable workplace accommodations and pregnancy and parental leave.
On Nov. 18, 2024, Sanford and DLI reached an agreement in which Sanford agreed to comply with WESA at all its Minnesota facilities and pay the affected employee back-wages, compensatory damages and liquidated damages. The company was also required to pay $40,000 in civil penalties based on DLI finding willful violations of Minnesota Statutes 181.939 and 181.941, with an additional $160,000 in civil penalties stayed pending compliance with the consent order.
The order requires Sanford to pay back-wages, compensatory damages and liquidated damages to an employee after DLI found Sanford cut her hours during pregnancy and fired her after she asserted her workplace rights.
DLI’s investigation concluded Sanford willfully violated provisions of the Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA) during DLI’s audit period of Feb. 27, 2023, to April 1, 2024. The investigation found Sanford forced a pregnant employee to accept a workplace accommodation, resulting in a reduction of her hours from 40 hours a week to 32, and fired her after she asserted her right to 12 weeks of parental leave.
Source: DLI
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