Minnesota Worker Who Refused RTO Order Lacks Whistleblower Suit

A Minnesota power products and systems company defeated a sales representative’s claim it violated state whistleblower law by firing him for repeatedly refusing to return to the office after working remotely for roughly four months during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, a federal judge ruled.

Derek Coubal said he was just following executive orders issued by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), which required employers to allow employees to work from home to the extent possible. He began contacting the state’s work-from-home hotline in late July 2020 after managers at Power Systems AHS LLC began pressing him to return ...