Minnesota Whistleblower Protections

Subd. 2. Employee. “Employee” means a person who performs services for hire in Minnesota for an employer. Employee does not include an independent contractor.

181.932 DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION BY EMPLOYEES Subdivision 1. Prohibited action. An employer shall not discharge, discipline, threaten, otherwise discriminate against, or penalize an employee regarding the employee’s compensation, terms, conditions, location, or privileges of employment because: (1) the employee, or a person acting on behalf of an employee, in good faith, reports a violation or suspected violation of any federal or state law or rule adopted pursuant to law to an employer or to any governmental body or law enforcement official; (2) the employee is requested by a public body or office to participate in an investigation, hearing, inquiry; (3) the employee refuses an employer’s order to perform an action that the employee has an objective basis in fact to believe violates any state or federal law or rule or regulation adopted pursuant to law, and the employee informs the employer that the order is being refused for that reason; (4) the employee, in good faith, reports a situation in which the quality of health care services provided by a health care facility, organization, or health care provider violates a standard established by federal or state law or a professionally recognized national clinical or ethical standard and potentially places the public at risk of harm; or (5) a public employee communicates the findings of a scientific or technical study that the employee, in good faith, believes to be truthful and accurate, including reports to a governmental body or law enforcement official. The disclosures protected pursuant to this section do not authorize the disclosure of data otherwise protected by law.

181.935 INDIVIDUAL REMEDIES; PENALTY (a) In addition to any remedies otherwise provided by law, an employee injured by a violation of section 181.932 may bring a civil action to recover any and all damages recoverable at law, together with costs and disbursements, including reasonable attorney’s fees, and may receive such injunctive and other equitable relief as determined by the court. (b) An employer who failed to notify, as required under section 181.933 or 181.934, an employee injured by a violation of section 181.932 is subject to a civil penalty of $25 per day per injured employee not to exceed $750 per injured employee. (c) If the district court determines that a violation of section 181.932 occurred, the court may order any appropriate relief, including but not limited to reinstatement, back-pay, restoration of lost service credit, if appropriate, compensatory damages, and the expungement of any adverse records of an employee who was the subject of the alleged acts of misconduct.

Minn. Stat. § 15C.01 et seq.

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15C.14 EMPLOYER RESTRICTIONS; LIABILITY. (a) An employer must not adopt or enforce any rule or policy forbidding an employee to disclose information to the state, a political subdivision, or a law enforcement agency, or to act in furtherance of an action under this chapter, including investigation for, bringing, or testifying in the action. (b) An employer must not discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass, deny promotion to, or otherwise discriminate against an employee in the terms or conditions of employment because of lawful acts done by the employee on the employee’s behalf or on behalf of others in disclosing information to the state, a political subdivision, or a law enforcement agency in furtherance of an action under this chapter, including investigation for bringing or testifying in the action

15C.14 EMPLOYER RESTRICTIONS; LIABILITY. (c) An employer who violates this section is liable to the affected employee in a civil action for damages and other relief, including reinstatement, twice the amount of lost compensation, interest on the lost compensation, any special damage sustained as a result of the discrimination, and punitive damages if appropriate. The employer is also liable for expenses recoverable under section 15C.12, including costs and attorney fees