Sec. 202. as PASSED by the Michigan House – My comments in green
(1) An employer shall not do any of the following:
(a) Fail or refuse to hire or recruit, discharge, or otherwise discriminate against an individual with respect to employment, compensation, or a term, condition, or privilege of employment because of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, or marital status.
Translated: Hooters look out! You gotta pick the fat ones, and don’t forget the old bald white guys, or we’ll be after you!! Hey Roscoe, c’mere boy! Get me those chicken wings!! awww you look awful cute in them shorts!
(b) Limit, segregate, or classify an employee or applicant for employment in a way that deprives or tends to deprive the employee or applicant of an employment opportunity or otherwise adversely affects the status of an employee or applicant because of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, or marital status.
Translated: “Charlene, the Pistons organization has decided that because you are only 5’4”and 800lbs, doesn’t necessarily mean you cannot play right forward. Your days of being a file clerk are over”
(c) Segregate, classify, or otherwise discriminate against an individual on the basis of sex with respect to a term, condition, or privilege of employment, including, but not limited to, a benefit plan or system.
Translated: Business owners look out for frivolous lawsuits! People have varying understandings of what they truly bring to the workplace. This opens the door for those who feel they have been slighted for any of the above reasons to create more complications for Michigan’s already over burdened Job Creators.
Fail or refuse to provide compensation equally for work of comparable value in terms of the composite skill, responsibility, effort, education or training, and working conditions because of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, or marital status.
(2) This section does not prohibit the establishment or implementation of a bona fide retirement policy or system that is not a subterfuge to evade the purposes of this section.
Translated: Don’t try anything sneaky!!! We’ll be watching you!
Bottom line:
Michigan needs a few less reasons for business owners to go away. Fueling unhappy workers fears, whether they are men, women, or legalized but from a different planet only complicates the day to day operating of business. LESS laws regulating the job creators are needed to allow business to become healthier, and create MORE Jobs which then forces them to COMPETE for the good workers with appropriate pay.
“Feel good” legislation such as this merely compounds the problem it attempts to resolve as well. Imagine the screening process which will result in certain personalities not being hired. Job creators will hesitate to bring on NEW employees for fear of dealing with more government bureaucracy. Michigan is currently 47th in the country for gender equitable pay. Pass this, and shoot for 48th.