Minnesota Captive Audience (Employer-Sponsored Meetings) Poster

Employer-sponsored meetings
Employer-sponsored meetings or
communication

Scope

An employer or the employer’s agent, representative
or designee must not discharge, discipline or
otherwise penalize or threaten to discharge,
discipline or otherwise penalize or take any adverse
employment action against an employee:

1. prohibit communications of information the
employer is required by law to communicate, but
only to the extent of the lawful requirement;

1. because the employee declines to attend or
participate in an employer-sponsored meeting or
declines to receive or listen to communications
from the employer or the agent, representative
or designee of the employer if the meeting or
communication is to communicate the opinion of
the employer about religious or political matters;
2. as a means of inducing an employee to attend
or participate in meetings or receive or listen to
communications described in number 1 above; or
3. because the employee, or a person acting on
behalf of the employee, makes a good-faith
report, orally or in writing, of a violation or a
suspected violation of this section.

Remedies
An aggrieved employee may bring a civil action to
enforce this section of the law no later than 90 days
after the date of the alleged violation. The court
may award all appropriate relief, including injunctive
relief, reinstatement, back pay and reestablishment
of any employee benefits, reasonable attorney fees
and costs.

This section does not:

2. limit the rights of an employer or its agent,
representative or designee to conduct meetings
involving religious or political matters as long as
attendance is wholly voluntary or to engage in
communications as long as receipt or listening is
wholly voluntary; or
3. limit the rights of an employer or its agent,
representative or designee from communicating
to its employees any information, or requiring
employee attendance at meetings and other
events, that is necessary for the employees to
perform their lawfully required job duties.

Summary

This law does not prohibit or regulate employer
speech. The law regulates when an employer may
discipline or fire an employee who declines to attend
meetings about religious or political matters.
To review this law in full, including definitions, notice
requirements and additional information about
remedies, see Minnesota Statutes § 181.531. The
Department of Labor and Industry does not enforce
this law.
For more information about this law, contact an
attorney.

October 2024

651-284-5075 • 800-342-5354 • [email protected] • dli.mn.gov
Notice: This is a brief summary of Minnesota law. It is intended as a guide and is not to be considered a substitute for related Minnesota Statutes.