Mike Bourgon

When Politics Becomes Harassment: What Minnesota Employers Need to Know

When Politics Becomes Harassment: What Minnesota Employers Need to Know

Minnesota Employment Law, Workplace Conflict, Workplace Policies

World events don’t stay outside the office door anymore. Conversations about Israel and Gaza, immigration, race, and elections now show up in break rooms, team chats, and client meetings. When those conversations turn heated, many managers freeze. They worry that stepping in will look like taking sides or limiting free speech. That hesitation is understandable,

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When a RIF Involves FMLA Leave, the Record Matters

When a RIF Involves FMLA Leave, the Record Matters

Employment Law, Labor Law, Minnesota Employment Law, Workplace Policies

A reduction in force may be driven by legitimate business needs, but an unclear selection process or inconsistent internal communications can turn a defensible decision into a jury question. A recent decision from the Northern District of Georgia offers a practical reminder for employers: When an employee using protected leave is selected for a RIF,

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AI-Assisted Complaints Are Changing How Investigations Start

AI-Assisted Complaints Are Changing How Investigations Start

Artificial Intelligence, Employment Law, Labor Law, Workplace Policies

In the age of artificial intelligence, investigators handling workplace complaints, ethics hotline reports, and other reports of misconduct are seeing a clear shift. More of the submissions crossing their desks appear to have been drafted, at least in part, with the assistance of AI. A practice that was uncommon only recently is quickly becoming routine.

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AI in Employment Decisions: Six Practices Worth Putting in Place Now

AI in Employment Decisions: Six Practices Worth Putting in Place Now

Artificial Intelligence, Employment Law, HR Compliance, Labor Law

Employers and human resources departments are relying on artificial intelligence across the employment lifecycle. Screening tools rank applicants. Interview platforms score responses. Performance systems flag “low performers.” Compensation models recommend pay. Some of those outputs now feed discipline and termination decisions. The efficiency is real. So is the discrimination risk. A flawed model does not

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HR’s Leadership Role in Building AI Guardrails

HR’s Leadership Role in Building the Guardrails

Artificial Intelligence, HR Compliance, Workplace Policies

Artificial intelligence has moved into daily work faster than the governance meant to manage it. Human Resources is the function best positioned to close that gap — much as it did when social media first entered the workplace. The assignment is heavier this time. AI now touches hiring, performance management, compensation, and termination. Those are

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HR manager reviewing a printed personnel file beside a laptop showing performance data

California’s “No Robo Bosses” Bill Heads to Governor Newsom

Artificial Intelligence, Employment Law, Labor Law

California’s “No Robo Bosses” Bill Heads to Governor Newsom: What Employers Need to Know New legislation targeting the role of artificial intelligence in workforce management is now on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Senate Bill 947 — the “No Robo Bosses Act of 2026” — would prohibit California employers from using an automated decision system (ADS)

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That AI notetaker in the room may be creating legal risk

That AI notetaker in the room may be creating legal risk

Employment Law, Workplace Policies

AI notetakers are becoming more prominent and fundamentally changing how people work by recording everything happening around them. Instead of physically taking notes during a meeting, employees can utilize AI notetakers to take detailed notes, prepare summaries, and identify follow-up items almost instantly. These tools can undoubtedly reduce administrative burden, but in doing so can

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DOL Issues Four New FLSA Opinion Letters

Employment Law, Labor Law, Workplace Policies

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued four new opinion letters on May 28, 2026, signed by Wage and Hour Administrator Andrew B. Rogers. These letters offer useful, if non-binding, insight into how the DOL currently interprets several common wage-and-hour issues under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). A summary of each

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Minnesota Paid Leave 2027 Rates: Still 0.88% (0.66% for Small Employers)

Minnesota Paid Leave 2027 Rates: Still 0.88% (0.66% for Small Employers)

Employment Law, Minnesota Employment Law, Sick Leave

Yes — the Minnesota Paid Leave premium rate for 2027 remains unchanged at 0.88% of covered wages (the same as 2026).** Small employers pay a reduced rate of 0.66%. This was officially announced by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) / Minnesota Paid Leave on July 31, 2026 (the annual deadline under

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Remote Work as an ADA Accommodation: What Recent Court Decisions Mean for Employers

Remote Work as an ADA Accommodation: What Recent Court Decisions Mean for Employers

Employer Liability, Employment Law, HR Compliance, Labor Law

As employers continue recalibrating return-to-office expectations in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic, many are facing a steady stream of requests for full-time remote work as a disability accommodation under the ADA. Recent federal appellate decisions offer important guidance. Courts continue to treat these requests as highly fact-specific inquiries centered on the essential functions of

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