Travis Hern, Relator v. Massage Retreat & Spa, Department of Employment and Economic Development

**What Happened** Travis Hern worked at Massage Retreat & Spa and received unemployment benefits from Minnesota's Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The state discovered that Hern had underreported his earnings while collecting unemployment benefits, meaning he received more money than he was entitled to. Hern claimed he made an honest mistake because a DEED customer service representative gave him incorrect advice about how to report his earnings. **The Court's Decision** The court sided with the state and ruled that Hern had to repay $4,177 in overpaid unemployment benefits. The court rejected Hern's defense that he relied on bad advice from a DEED employee. The judge determined that Hern fraudulently underreported his income, regardless of what the customer service representative may have told him. **What This Means for Workers** This case shows that workers are ultimately responsible for accurately reporting their earnings when collecting unemployment benefits, even if they receive conflicting information from government employees. Workers cannot use incorrect advice from unemployment office staff as a defense against fraud charges. It's crucial to carefully track and honestly report all income to avoid having to repay benefits and face potential fraud penalties.