Business owners take a lot of precautions to avoid litigation. This is done through good human resources practices and policies, treating Southeast Michigan employees with respect and when layoffs occur, severance packages with severance agreements are used. These...
Employment Law
What sort of language should I include in my contracts?
What sort of language a business will want to include in their contracts will vary widely depending on a number of factors. Here are just some examples of these factors: The type of business or industry involved The purpose of the agreement Who is signing the...
Should I offer a severance agreement to my employees?
As is the case with many other states, Michigan employers are not required to offer severance packages to employees when they terminate them. One narrow exception would be workers who have an employment contract that spells out their severance pay. Even if a...
Avoiding ambiguity with a solid noncompete agreement
Crafting an ironclad noncompete agreement is essential for Michigan businesses today, especially where a company must protect its IP or other highly classified information to remain competitive. The main purpose of a noncompete is to prevent a former employee from...
Paying salespeople commissions raises legal issues
Auto dealerships in the Detroit area, as well as many other employers in the automobile industry, rely on a commission system to pay their sales employees. They may even use commissions as the exclusive way for their sales employees to earn income. This usually is a...
Employer Mandated COVID Vaccines are Likely Permissible with Some Exceptions
As the first COVID-19 vaccines roll out, employers in various industries may be considering mandatory vaccines for their employees. Are these permissible under the law? The answer is likely "yes" but as with most legal questions, it requires much more discussion and...
Symonds v. Lighthouse Insurance Group – Order Granting Injunction
STATE OF MICHIGAN IN THE 17th CIRCUIT COURT FOR KENT COUNTY Case No. 20-03145-CBB AARON SYMONDS, Plaintiff/Counter-Defendant, vs. LIGHTHOUSE INSURANCE GROUP, INC., Defendant/Counter-Plaintiff. HON. CHRISTOPHER P. YATES OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION...
Non-competition agreements can be an effective business tool
A non-competition agreement is used when a business wants to protect its information, such as trade secrets or company strategies, from competing businesses. The agreement, often signed when an employee begins his or her employment with the business, prevents the...
Michigan Emergency Order – November 15, 2020 (Gatherings and Face Mask Order)
Below is the relevant portion of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Order issued November 15, 2020, which sets forth the directives in effect as of 12:01 a.m., Wednesday, November, 18, 2020: 1. Definitions. “Child-care organization” means that term...
Can Your Facebook Page Cost You a Job? Social Media Tips for Employers and Applicants
Pre-Hiring Social Media Screening: 3 Tips for Employers and Applicants Did you hear the one about the Texas teenager fired for a tweet about her new job – even before she started? Yes – that happened in Texas when a Jet’s Pizza employee took to Twitter to post about...
