Publications

• Preparing Your Workplace for Legalized Marijuana

  November 15, 2018

  Seeing through the Smoke: Preparing Your Workplace for Legalized Marijuana On November 6, 2018, Michigan became the tenth state in the nation and the first state in the Midwest to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. This approval has left employers across the state questioning what this means for their workplace. The new law called […]

• Butter be Ready: The Preventive Controls for Human and Animal Food Rules Take Effect

  September 20, 2018

  As of September 17, 2018, food facilities of all sizes are required to be in full or partial compliance with the Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF) and Preventive Controls for Animal Food (PCAF) rules. The PCHF and PCAF rules are part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). As such, the rules require food […]

• New Sales and Use Tax Standards

  August 7, 2018

  The Michigan Department of Treasury has just released the new sales and use tax standards for remote sellers. Prior to 2018, Michigan could not force sellers without a physical presence in the state to remit sales or use tax to the state. On June 21, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned this longstanding restriction and […]

• IRS Enforces Passport Restrictions to Collect Tax Debt

  July 30, 2018

  Abroad summer travel plans may be indefinitely delayed due to a new tax collection tool – Internal Revenue Code (IRC) § 7345, which permits the IRS to certify to the State Department individuals who have serious delinquent tax debt. Once the State Department receives a certification, it may deny or revoke the passport of that […]

• Court Ruling Lacks Direction on Ordinary Negligence and Malpractice Claims

  July 30, 2018

  On July 23, 2018, the Michigan Supreme Court released its opinion in Trowell v Providence Hospital (Docket No. 154476) addressing whether the plaintiff’s claims are sounded in ordinary negligence or medical malpractice.  If a claim sounds in ordinary negligence or malpractice is often a critical issue as ordinary negligence claims are not subject to the […]

• Foreign Supplier Verification Program Rule Affects More Importers

  July 26, 2018

  The Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) was published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2015. It requires that importers or their agents ensure foreign food suppliers meet the same food safety standards required of domestic food manufacturers. For the purpose of the FSVP, an importer is a U.S. owner or consignee of […]

• Food Safety Modernization Act: The Impact on the Food Industry One Bite at a Time

  July 16, 2018

  The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is a law applicable to food producers, processors and transporters. The purpose of the law is to protect the public from foodborne illness. Data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention data indicates that over 3,000 people in the United States die from foodborne illnesses each year while […]

• Should You Require Employees to Sign an Arbitration Agreement?

  June 26, 2018

  In May, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of employers to require and enforce pre-dispute class and collective action waivers as part of individual arbitration agreements.  Many employers have elected to require employees to agree at the time of hire or as a condition of continuing employment that any employment disputes be dealt with […]

• Michigan Legislature Repeals Prevailing Wage Act

  June 13, 2018

  On Wednesday, June 6, 2018, the Michigan Legislature repealed the State’s Prevailing Wage Act, which required the State to pay workers union-level wages under state construction contracts. The Legislature chose to repeal the Prevailing Wage Act after Michigan residents sponsored an initiative and amassed nearly 383,000 signatures, more than enough to place the measure on […]

• What Michigan Nurses Should Know About LARA Investigations and Administrative Complaints

  June 2, 2018

  Many complaints made to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) regarding nurses arise in an employment context and involve issues with employers. Nurses and other employees in Michigan have a right to obtain a copy of their personnel files, which often contain documents and information that can help them formulate and support […]