Posts Tagged with: Michigan

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Michigan Minimum Wage Increases Ahead
12 November 2024

Michigan’s Minimum Wage Updates: Essentia...

The Michigan Supreme Court recently reinstated voter-initiated versions of the state’s minimum wage and paid sick leave laws, resulting in significant changes to the minimum wage rates. On October 1, 2024, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity issued a press release detailing these changes, which will take effect in 2025. Notably, Michigan’s minimum […]

Michigan Supreme Court
30 December 2020

Michigan Supreme Court Upholds Aid for Nonpubli...

On December 28, 2020, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled 3‑3 in Council of Organizations & Others for Ed. About Parochiaid v State, Docket No. 158751, leaving in place the decision of the Court of Appeals to permit certain funds to be disbursed to Michigan’s nonpublic schools.  Under MCL 388.1752b, funds were reimbursed to nonpublic schools […]

Potter Stewart Courthouse 6th Circuit
21 December 2020

University of Michigan Wins Title IX Case

The University of Michigan recently prevailed in an 8‑6 Title IX en banc decision that split the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.  The facts of the case, Foster v Bd of Regents of Univ of Mich,       F3d      ; No. 19‑1314 (CA 6, 2020), are relatively straightforward.  Rebecca Foster was enrolled in the University’s Executive MBA […]

Vapor Instrusion
17 October 2019

Prohibited Substances: A Vocabulary Lesson

Do your workplace prohibited substances (Smoking or Drug) policies make distinctions between legal and illegal drugs? Do you use “cannabis,” “marijuana,” and “hemp” interchangeably? What about “vaping?” It’s important to understand the vernacular, to make sure your policies say (and, prohibit) what you think they say! Vaping: Vaping is considered the inhaling of vaporized substance. […]

State Capital in Lansing
10 October 2019

New Bills to Protect Workers’ Rights Introduced...

Recently, a group of lawmakers in the Michigan House of Representatives announced a series of bills that are designed to strengthen employee rights and increase compensation.  The bills include: A “Temporary Worker Bill of Rights” that requires employers to give temporary workers the first opportunity at permanent positions and more notice about when they’re scheduled […]

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Recently, a group of lawmakers in the Michigan House of Representatives announced a series of bills that are designed to strengthen employee rights and increase compensation.  The bills include:

  • A “Temporary Worker Bill of Rights” that requires employers to give temporary workers the first opportunity at permanent positions and more notice about when they’re scheduled to work.
  • The “Employee Fair Scheduling Act,” which requires employers to provide new employees with a good-faith estimate of the employee’s work schedule. The proposed Act also would require employers to provide current employees with a written work schedule at least 14 calendar days in advance.
  • A bill that increases the salary threshold for exempt employees to $55,000 (the U.S. Department of Labor recently increased the salary threshold to $35,568, meaning the proposed $55,000 threshold is, to put it mildly, “significant”).
  • A new state dependent care credit to offset the cost of childcare, caring for an elderly or disabled parent, or another dependent.
  • A bill that restores Michigan’s Earned Income Tax Credit to 20% (Michigan reduced the rate from 20% to 6% in 2011).
  • A bill that requires severance pay for employees who are discharged because of a company shutdown, relocation, or mass layoffs.
  • A bill that requires employers to give employees a 30 minute meal break for every five hours worked.
  • A resolution that clarifies that severance pay would not conflict with unemployment benefits.

It seems unlikely at this time that these bills will pass Michigan’s Republican-controlled legislature.  But the bills exemplify recent labor and employment trends across the country.  As readers of this blog are likely aware, GM’s use and treatment of temporary workers is at the core of the UAW’s ongoing strike against the company.  California also recently passed a law to address “gig workers,” making it difficult for employers to prove that workers are independent contractors instead of employees.

While the bills introduced in Michigan shouldn’t make you rush to change your policies and procedures, they are important to consider as we all keep our fingers on the pulse of trends in the law. Bills and executive actions covering workplace and employee-related issues and topics likely will continue to be introduced, and we will be here to keep you updated as they do.