Employment Law

As an employment attorney in Michigan, I am often asked whether a “narcissist boss” can create legal liability. The short answer is: sometimes—but not always. Many toxic behaviors are deeply harmful, yet not automatically unlawful. Understanding the difference between bad management and illegal conduct is critical for both employees and employers. What Does a “Narcissist […]

As 2026 approaches, Michigan employers and residents should begin preparing for several important changes taking effect on January 1. These updates—largely tied to labor, wage, and youth employment laws—result from prior legislation and phased-in reforms. Understanding them now can help ensure compliance and avoid unexpected financial impacts in the year ahead. Here are the key

As of today, Friday, February 21, 2025, Michigan’s Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) is scheduled to take effect. Guidance on the Act as currently written is available on the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Wage and Hour Division’s website. However, both the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate have proposed amendments

To increase the chances of having an attorney take your wrongful discharge case, there are important documents that you should collect before you contact the attorney. All of these documents are important in deciding whether you have a case that can be won in court. And even though very few cases actually end up in

This post is from the materials produced by myself and Michelle P. Crockett, an attorney with the law firm of Miller Canfield, at the Insititute of Continuing Education’s 35th Annual Labor & Employment Law Institute presented on Friday, April 30,2010. Michelle practices employment law from the management side. I. Introduction Although the damages available in

In a case decided by the Michigan Supreme Court on February 8, 2013, the court found that the fired employee had raised sufficient evidence to present her case to the jury. The case is Debano – Griffin v Lake County and it shows how employment attorneys representing employees go about proving a key issue in

Historically, the employment-at-will rule was a byproduct of the industrial revolution in England and the United States. Before the industrial revolution, the employer/employee relationship was more like the relationship between a master and servant. In fact, as late as 1823, it was a crime for an employee to terminate a relationship with a master prematurely.

When an employee is terminated, they are occasionally offered a severance agreement. There are multiple reasons for a severance offer. It could be to soften the blow of a lay-off after many years of service. Or it could be to avoid a future lawsuit by having an employee sign a release. But this week the

What Is the Management or Executive Exemption Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”)? Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), most US employees must be paid at least a minimum wage and overtime pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. But there are exemptions that remove employees from the FLSA’s protection.