When employees are injured on the job, it’s the expectation that they should be able to receive workers compensation benefits from their Sauk Rapids employers. Furthermore, it’s also expected that their job statuses will not affected by their decision to seek such assistance. If one’s employment is terminated shortly after filing for workers compensation, he or she may assume the reason behind the dismissal was in retaliation for their actions.
Such is the claim being made by two former employees of a Walmart in Apple Valley. Both are suing the company, alleging that they were fired for seeking workers compensation for injuries that occurred on the job. One claimed to have been fired a month after having submitted a claim regarding his injured foot. The other is a woman who believes she was fired for seeking benefits to help treat her carpal tunnel syndrome.
In response, Walmart has claimed that both people were fired due to business reasons unrelated to their pursuit of workers compensation benefits. In the first case, they state that the man lost his job for not following a company policy that required that he report the injury within 24 hours of sustaining it. The man, on other hand, claims he told his manager about it the day it happened.
Regarding the woman, Walmart officials state that, among other things, she was fired because accommodating her injury would have meant removing many essential functions of her job. The woman claims that she needed no special considerations.
Firing one for seeking workers compensation is unlawful. The threat of such action should not serve as a deterrent from keeping employees from seeking assistance following workplace injuries. Having an attorney to help in earning benefits in such a scenario may be invaluable.
Source: INFORUM “Minnesota Walmart at center of second worker lawsuit”, Elizabeth Mohr, June 13, 2015