A recent decision from West Michigan’s federal district court may have shed light on a minor mystery that’s puzzled a number of faith-based nonprofits and businesses in Michigan over the years: with no explicit protections for them in Michigan’s civil rights law,* why have they never been prosecuted for religious discrimination under state law? The […]

Miller Johnson attorneys Rebecca Strauss and Sarah Willey discuss laws that prevent companies from punishing employees to who test positive for marijuana as well as how employers should handle ADA requests related to marijuana. You can also listen to this and future episodes by subscribing to the “Lawyers Off the Clock” podcast on: Apple Podcasts […]

On February 21, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board issued its decision in McLaren Macomb, 372 NLRB No. 58, and seemingly upended the modern severance agreement. As we have previously written about (see our Client Alert here) the Board held that employers violate the National Labor Relations Act when they offer overly broad severance agreements […]

Despite a federal law banning marijuana, a majority of states allow marijuana use in some form. In this episode of Employment Lawyers Talk Off the Clock, Miller Johnson attorneys Rebecca Strauss and Sarah Willey discuss whether companies should continue drug testing job candidates and what innovations to consider when testing current employees that are suspected […]

The American employer is in a tough spot.  When the pandemic hit, many employers were forced to close their doors—some permanently.  Then, the end of lockdowns also signaled the beginning of the Great Resignation.  Indeed, in 2021, about 47 million workers quit their jobs.  2022 was no better, as about 4 million workers quit in […]

This is part four of a four-part immigration law series.  Read part one here. Read part two here. Read part three here. Immigration options exist for talent acquisition for hard-to-fill jobs. Learn about the requirements for the most common employment-based immigration categories to hire foreign nationals. In this webinar, Miller Johnson immigration attorneys Kevin Battle, […]

Miller Johnson attorneys Rebecca Strauss and Sarah Willey discuss the rise of employees requesting to be excused from DEI training because of their religious beliefs and delicate balance Human Resources departments need to weigh. You can also listen to this and future episodes by subscribing to the “Lawyers Off the Clock” podcast on: Apple Podcasts […]

On January 30, 2023, the U.S. Departments of Health & Human Services, Labor, and Treasury (the Departments) issued proposed rules to expand access to no cost contraceptive services. Specifically, the Departments proposed removing the moral exemption to providing contraceptive coverage under an employer’s group health plan. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), non-grandfathered group health […]

This is part three of a four-part immigration law series.  Read part one here. Read part two here. Getting the Visa: A Three-Step Process The visa process has three distinct steps. First, the employer must apply to the Department of Labor for approval of a Labor Condition Application. Once that is approved, the employer files […]

This is part two of a four-part immigration law series.  Read part one here. Fortunately, the rules and regulations on qualifying employers, employees and jobs are well written, offering a clear playbook on what is needed to gain visa issuance. Qualified Employers To be eligible to petition for an H-1B visa, the employer must be […]