Michigan High Court Opens Companies Up to More Worker Suits

Michigan companies could face greater liability in court after the state Supreme Court issued a ruling Thursday that strengthens attacks on employment contracts that shorten the time workers have to sue their bosses.

The state Supreme Court, in a 5-1 opinion, expanded judges’ power to review contract clauses that shorten the three-year window workers generally have to sue their employers for civil rights violations. The ruling enhances a test used to determine whether boilerplate employment contracts give enough time for a worker to go to court.

“The difference between an employee having three years to file a lawsuit, as ...