DHS Allows Remote Verification and Introduces New Form I-9

On July 21, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced several changes to Form I-9 in an effort to modernize the verification of employment eligibility. Currently, an employee must physically bring authorization documents to their employer, and the employer must examine the documents and verify that the employee is eligible to work.

By: Lida Bannink  Date: July 31, 2023

How Municipalities Can Navigate the New Cannabis Legislation

Step 1: Adopt an Interim Ordinance under Minn. Stat. 342.13 (e) Chapter 63 of Minnesota Session Law – 2023 was signed on May 30, 2023. The Law creates an Office of Cannabis Management which will issue licenses for the operation of cannabis businesse

By: Christina Benson  Date: July 30, 2023

Pregnant Worker Protection Laws – What are they?

This week, multiple changes in Federal and Minnesota legislation become effective, significantly altering an employer’s obligations and an employee’s rights. These legislative changes will affect the accommodations that an employer must provide to employees while pregnant and post-pregna

June 29, 2023

Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave

On May 25, 2023, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed the Paid Family and Medical Leave (“PFML”) bill into law, also known as the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), which provides a significant increase in an employee’s benefits and changes to an employer’s

June 20, 2023

Discipline: A Positive Tool in Organizational Culture

Discipline: A Positive Tool in Organizational Culture   Employers in Western Wisconsin/Minnesota: There is no doubt that our general societal culture tends to avoid conflict (“Minnesota Nice”). However, when I see organizations incorporating this culture in their workplace, 99% of the time, it is not serving the organization well.

By: Lida Bannink  Date: June 5, 2023

Risks Associated with 50/50 Business Partnerships

Let’s talk about 50/50 partnerships. Structuring a business as a 50/50 partnership can have several advantages, such as shared decision-making power and equal distribution of profits and losses. However, there are also potential problems that partners may encounter with this structure.

By: Nicholas Vivian  Date: May 12, 2023

Franchise System Changes – Necessary evil to keep up with changing times?

When a new franchisee opens their new franchised business, one of the primary factors that drove the franchisee’s decision to select that franchise is often because of particular aspect that is unique to that franchise, whether it is a particular product or an efficient method of business.  However, franchise systems frequently go through chang

By: Keith Marnholtz  Date: May 8, 2023

Are You Opening Yourself to a Lawsuit in How You Discipline Employees?

A common pitfall of employers is to narrowly think of discipline as a tool to punish an employee for inappropriate conduct or deficient performance. However, discipline can also serve many other purposes. For instance, discipline can be used to provide employees with information about how their current conduct or performance differs from what is expected….

By: Lida Bannink  Date: April 3, 2023