Minnesota’s New Hands-Free Law – What You Need to Know
Beginning August 1, 2019, Minnesota will become a “hand-free” state. Although Minnesota law already prohibited texting, emailing, and browsing while driving, drivers could still use a cell phone to make calls and do other things. The new law brings significant change. Here is what you need to know. The new general rule is that a driver may no longer use a cell phone when their vehicle is in motion or part of traffic to do the following: The driver cannot initiate, compose, send, retrieve, or ever read an electronic message. The driver cannot engage in cell phone calls, cannot initiate... Read More
Can an Employer Control an Employee’s Use of Social-Media?
If the employee is at work and using computers owned by the employer, the general answer is yes. Work if for working; not for using social media. Generally, employers are within their rights to regulate social-media use on work time if they do so for work-related reasons and apply the rules evenhandedly to all employees. Off-hour use of social-media might be regulated if an employee’s initial and continued employment are subject to written social-media policies. There are important exceptions. Under and Minnesota’s Wage Disclosure Protection law no employer can prohibit employees from disclosing or discussing their own wages. Even if... Read More