Workers in Minnesota have a right to be paid properly for their work, based on the agreement they made at the time of employment. When an employer doesn’t pay proper wages and commits other infractions towards workers, legal action may be appropriate. A dairy farm in the state is facing a civil lawsuit brought about by the state’s Attorney General based on accusations from people who’ve worked there and came forward with information about some disturbing working conditions.
Terms of the lawsuit
The civil lawsuit against Evergreen Farms is based on allegations of wage theft, illegal rent charges for employees, and hostile working conditions. The Attorney General claims that the farm failed to pay at least 3 million dollars in wages to employees. These claims include shaving hours from paychecks, not paying employees when they began working at the farm or when their employment ended, and deducting rent from paychecks for housing that was deemed uninhabitable.
The lawsuit also claims that the farm attempted to cover up the misdeeds by not keeping records of employment and by falsifying documents. Workers at the farm were intimidated and discouraged from speaking out against the poor treatment and unpaid wages. Eventually, some workers decided to step forward with allegations, which led to the lawsuit being filed.
Where to turn for help
Employment laws exist to keep employees safe at work and ensure they are paid properly. If this doesn’t happen, an employee has the right to pursue legal action against the employer in the form of a civil lawsuit. Minnesota workers who haven’t been paid for their time, or who otherwise were treated poorly on the job, can consult an employment law attorney to determine the best path forward.