Michigan Employee Handbook

When your company hires employees in Michigan, you are required to comply with federal, state, and local employment laws. There are a variety of human resources and labor policies in the workplace that differ by state. Through your employee handbook, employers can easily document and distribute the correct policies to their employees to comply with the laws of each state.

Creating your Michigan Employee Handbook is a useful way to explain important policies and procedures, mitigate legal risk, and introduce employees to the expectations and operating practices of the organization.

Mosey has compiled the relevant policies a company with employees in Michigan must consider.

Michigan Employee Handbook Policies

There are 8 state and local employee handbook policies in Michigan.

Wage and Hour

Michigan Minimum Wage Policy

You are entitled to a minimum wage of $12.48 per hour in Michigan, with tipped employees receiving $5.99 per hour if tips average at least $6.49. Minors under 18 are entitled to $10.61 per hour, and new hires under 20 may receive $4.25 per hour for their first 90 days.

Vacation, Sick, and Safe Leaves

Michigan Earned Sick Time Policy

You are entitled to earned sick time under the Michigan Earned Sick Time Act if you are employed by Employer, excluding specific groups such as U.S. government employees or unpaid interns.

• Accrual: Employees accrue 1 hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked, with a cap of 40 hours per year for employers with fewer than 10 employees, and 72 hours for those with 10 or more. Unused hours may carry over, but usage is limited to the annual cap.
• Waiting Period: New employees must wait 120 days to use accrued sick time.
• Permitted Uses: Sick time can be used for personal health, caring for family, domestic violence situations, school meetings, public health emergencies, or exposure to communicable diseases.
• Notice: Provide reasonable notice for foreseeable absences, with documentation required for absences exceeding three days.
• Separation and Rehire: Unused sick time is not paid out upon termination unless stated by policy, but will be reinstated if rehired within two months.
• Protections: Retaliation for using sick time is prohibited.

Leaves of Absence

Michigan Military Service Leave Policy

Employer provides you with temporary unpaid leave (provided advance notice is given) for periods of military service, induction into the military, or determining fitness for military service.

Michigan Jury Duty Leave Policy

You are entitled to job-protected leave to serve as a juror. Unless directed otherwise by your manager, you should return to work at the completion of jury duty, even if for a partial day.

Michigan Domestic Violence Leave Policy

Employer allows you to use Paid Medical Leave for domestic violence and sexual assault situations involving:

• Medical care or psychological or other counseling;
• Receiving services from a victim services organization;
• Relocation;
• Obtaining legal services; and/or
• Participation in any civil or criminal proceedings related to or resulting from the domestic violence or sexual assault.

Michigan Paid Medical Leave Policy

Employees of Employer are entitled to earn one hour of paid medical leave for every 35 hours worked.

Privacy

Michigan Electronic Monitoring Policy

Employer can monitor its employees’ telephone conversations or transmissions, electronic mail or transmissions, and internet access or usage by any electronic device or system — including but not limited to the use of computers, telephones, wires, radios, electromagnetic systems, photoelectronic systems, or photo-optical systems on any electronic devices or systems issued to the employee by the employer or on any electronic media accounts maintained by the Employer.

Michigan Social Media Privacy Policy

Generally, Employer is prohibited from accessing your personal social media accounts and will not discipline or terminate an employee for refusing to disclose their social media login information or for denying to provide access to their social media accounts.

Federal Employee Handbook Policies

Regardless of which states you have employees in, there are required federal policies that must be included in your employee handbook. In addition to any state-specific policies, your employee handbook for Michigan should contain the following federal policies.

• Anti-Harassment Policy
• Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy
• Anti-Retaliation Policy
• Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
• Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Handbook Policy Best Practices

In addition to the required federal policies, the following policies are best practices to include in your employee handbook.

• Prohibited Conduct Policy
• Violations Reporting Policy
• Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
• Weapons Policy
• Disciplinary Action Policy
• At-Will Employment
• Federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) Policy