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Employee discipline: Minnesota

This guide provides an overview of Minnesota laws relevant to employee discipline, including investigation requirements, restrictions on drug testing and lie detector tests, protections against discrimination and retaliation, and employee rights related to disciplinary records and protected activities.

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by Mark Mathison, Lathrop GPM

Summary

This guide provides an overview of laws relevant to employee discipline in Minnesota, including restrictions on lie detector tests and drug testing, protections against discrimination and retaliation, and rights regarding disciplinary records in personnel files.

In this guide, learn about:

  • Investigations
    • Drug testing
    • Criminal convictions
    • Recording meetings
  • Discipline of employees in protected classes
    • Minnesota Human Rights Act
    • Disability
    • Sexual orientation
    • Marital status
    • Familial status
    • Age
    • Genetic information
    • Veteran status: public employer limitations on discharge of veterans
    • Aiding and abetting discrimination
    • Limitations on waivers of MHRA claims
  • Treatment of employees who have engaged in protected activities
    • Retaliation under Minnesota equal opportunity laws
    • Whistleblower prohibitions on discipline by Minnesota employers
    • Workers’ compensation prohibition against discharge
    • Wage complaints: retaliation prohibited
    • Wage theft law
    • Lawful consumable products protection
    • Equal pay for equal work law
    • Reprisals for refusing to make charitable contributions
    • Minnesota earned sick and safe leave
    • Parenting leave and sick and safe leave
    • Paid family and medical leave
    • Military leave and reemployment rights
    • Prohibition against discipline based on military service
    • Military family rights
    • Voting leave
    • Political activities of employees
    • Jury duty leave
    • Remedies and penalties
    • Witness and crime victim leave
    • Reporting workplace violence at health care facilities
    • Marijuana
    • Prohibition against discipline based on employee’s use of paid leave to donate bone marrow or organ
    • Prohibition against discipline based on garnishment
    • Prohibition against discipline based on legislative service
    • Prohibition against discipline based on employee seeking to obtain restraining orders or orders for protection
  • Other discipline considerations
    • Truthful reason letter for involuntary termination
    • Employee right to dispute record of discipline
    • Defamation
  • Local requirements
    • Bloomington earned sick and safe time
    • Minneapolis freelance worker protections ordinance
    • Minneapolis minimum wage ordinance
    • Minneapolis sick and safe time
    • Minneapolis wage theft prevention ordinance
    • St. Paul earned sick and safe time
    • St. Paul minimum wage ordinance
  • Future developments

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Jurisdiction: Minnesota

Latest updates

Updated to reflect amendments to the retaliation protections in the City of St. Paul’s minimum wage ordinance, effective November 16, 2025.

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About the author

Lathrop GPM

Lathrop GPM was formed in 2020 through the combination of Lathrop Gage (founded in Kansas City) and Gray Plant Mooty (founded in Minneapolis). With nearly 400 attorneys practicing in offices nationwide, Lathrop GPM serves clients in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, technology, education and health care, and provides a full spectrum of corporate legal services, including business transactions, employment and employee benefits, intellectual property and litigation.

Lathrop GPM’s employment and labor attorneys have broad experience in various facets of employment and labor law, including employment litigation and disputes, employment advice, employee classification issues, employee leave and disability accommodation management, executive and other employment contracts, and antidiscrimination and antiharassment guidance.

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