MN DOC Early Retirement Plan Discriminatory
A federal judge says the Minnesota Department of Corrections’ early retirement plan violated the age discrimination law. News in the Star Tribune.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had sued the agency over the plan, which said an employee retiring at age 55 got employer contributions for health and dental insurance until age 65, but an employee retiring after age 55 got no such contributions.
In his ruling last week, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson found the plan discriminatory, but also that the department acted in good faith.
A commission attorney says there’s no firm total yet on damages or employees affected. The commission believes more than 50 people could receive monetary damages.
The Department of Corrections said it is working with the attorney general’s office and Minnesota Management and Budget to review the ruling and evaluate the state’s legal options.
Shari Burt, communications director for the agency, said it is “pleased that Judge Magnuson found that the department acted in good faith and could have reasonably believed the plan was lawful. He also recognized that the legality of the state’s early retirement incentive is an unsettled area of the law.”
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