South Dakota-based Sanford Health will be required to pay unpaid wages and damages to an employee after a state investigation in Minnesota found the company cut her hours during pregnancy and then fired her, violating state law. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry found Sanford, based in Sioux Falls, S.D., willfully violated Minnesota’s Women’s Economic Security Act, according to a press release. The investigation found that Sanford reduced a pregnant employee’s hours from 40 hours a week to 32, then fired her after she requested 12 weeks of parental leave. On Nov. 18, the Department of Labor and Industry and Sanford entered into a consent order requiring Sanford to comply with Minnesota laws that provide pregnant employees with reasonable accommodations and pregnancy and parental leave. Sanford human resources staff members, managers and supervisors will also be required to attend annual Women’s Economic Security Act training for two years, the release said. Along with paying the employee $6,960 for unpaid wages and damages, the company will also have to pay $40,000 in civil penalties for violating Minnesota law, the consent order said. Sanford Health responded to the Department of Labor and Industry findings in a statement issued Thursday. “At Sanford Health, our employees are our most valuable asset, and we do everything we can to ensure a positive workplace culture where our team members feel appreciated, heard and supported. We have fully cooperated with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry’s investigation regarding one specific leave of absence and accommodation, and while we disagree with the Department’s findings, we wish to focus our efforts on continually seeking to improve our employees’ work experience,” the statement read. “To that end, we have worked with our third-party leave administrator to ensure proper leave processing and will be implementing additional training. We have a long track record of investing in our people and their well-being and continue to make that a top priority.” Related Articles Business | Mayo Clinic sues Sanford Health Plan over a patient’s unpaid medical bills Business | Working Strategies: Four resolutions for 2025 Business | Saving money for your grandchildren: Best ways to get started now Business | You can now access your credit report once a week for free, rather than just once a year Business | Survey: Experts share the top overlooked investment themes that deserve more attention in 2025