Michigan's ELCRA prohibits discrimination based on sex, including gender identity and sexual orientation.
The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) is Michigan's foundational anti-discrimination law, expanded by the Michigan Supreme Court to explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected characteristics. It prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and public services, applying to employers with one or more employees.
ELCRA Anti-Discrimination
Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act protections — race, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity), age, height, weight, marital status.
What those rules do as a Michigan shift is created.
Teambridge ensures that scheduling, hiring, and management practices align with the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act by integrating compliance checks directly into your workflow. This protects your business from inadvertent discrimination claims and fosters an inclusive workplace.
Ensures fair hiring practices
Teambridge's hiring modules include checks to prevent bias based on protected characteristics like race, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), age, height, weight, and marital status, ensuring all candidates are evaluated on merit.
Prevents discriminatory scheduling
Our scheduling algorithms are designed to avoid patterns that could inadvertently discriminate against employees based on protected characteristics, such as disproportionately assigning less desirable shifts to certain groups.
Facilitates inclusive workplace policies
Teambridge helps you implement and enforce policies that explicitly prohibit discrimination and harassment, in line with ELCRA's broad protections, providing clear guidelines for all employees and managers.
Deploy Michigan wage and hour rules for your business.
Teambridge handles the complexity of Michigan's labor laws, including the latest ELCRA expansions and the Mothering Justice ruling, so you don't have to. Get compliant, stay compliant.
Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in employment.
The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA), MCL 37.2101 et seq., prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and public services based on religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, or marital status. In 2022, the Michigan Supreme Court affirmed that the prohibition against sex discrimination includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
MCL 37.2202(1): An employer shall not fail or refuse to hire, recruit, or discharge an individual, 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, familial status, or marital status. This section includes a prohibition against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Employer Coverage and Prohibited Actions
The ELCRA applies to all employers in Michigan, regardless of size (i.e., the employer threshold is one or more employees). It broadly prohibits discrimination in all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, compensation, job assignments, and benefits. This comprehensive coverage means that even small businesses must adhere to ELCRA's provisions.
Beyond explicit discrimination, ELCRA also prohibits retaliation against individuals who have opposed unlawful practices, filed a complaint, or participated in an investigation under the Act. This anti-retaliation provision is crucial for ensuring employees feel safe reporting potential violations without fear of adverse consequences.
Expanded Definition of "Sex"
A landmark ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court in Rouch World LLC v Department of Civil Rights (2022) clarified that the term "sex" within ELCRA encompasses sexual orientation and gender identity. This judicial interpretation significantly expanded protections for LGBTQ+ individuals across the state, ensuring they are afforded the same civil rights protections as other protected classes under the Act. This means employers cannot discriminate against individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity in any employment-related decision.
Teambridge ensures your Michigan operations are ELCRA-compliant, automatically.
Navigating Michigan's ELCRA, especially with the expanded definition of sex, requires diligent attention across all employment practices. Teambridge automates the adherence to these anti-discrimination laws, allowing you to focus on your business while we handle the complexities of compliance.
Bias-free applicant screening
Teambridge's intelligent hiring workflows flag potential biases in job descriptions and interview questions, ensuring all candidates are evaluated solely on qualifications, mitigating risks related to race, sex, age, and other protected characteristics.
Automated non-discriminatory shift assignments
Our scheduling engine accounts for ELCRA's broad protections, preventing disproportionate or discriminatory assignments based on factors like age, gender, or familial status, ensuring fair treatment for all employees.
Consistent application of anti-discrimination policies
Teambridge integrates your company's anti-discrimination policies directly into operational processes, providing real-time alerts and guidance to managers to ensure consistent application and prevent inadvertent violations of ELCRA.
Continuous education on ELCRA updates
We provide integrated training modules and alerts for managers and employees on ELCRA's provisions, including the expanded protections for sexual orientation and gender identity, keeping your team informed and compliant.
People also ask.
What is the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA)?
The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) is a Michigan state law that prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and public services based on religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, or marital status. It is Michigan's primary anti-discrimination statute.
Does ELCRA protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity?
Yes, as of a 2022 Michigan Supreme Court ruling in Rouch World LLC v Department of Civil Rights, the prohibition against "sex" discrimination under ELCRA explicitly includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
What is the employer threshold for ELCRA?
ELCRA applies to all employers in Michigan, regardless of size. This means employers with one or more employees must comply with its provisions.
What types of employment discrimination are prohibited by ELCRA?
ELCRA prohibits discrimination in all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, compensation, job assignments, benefits, and any other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.
Can an employee be retaliated against for filing an ELCRA complaint?
No, ELCRA includes strong anti-retaliation provisions. Employers are prohibited from taking adverse action against an individual for opposing unlawful practices, filing a complaint, or participating in an investigation under the Act.
How does ELCRA interact with federal anti-discrimination laws?
ELCRA often provides broader protections than federal laws like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, particularly regarding the number of protected classes (e.g., height, weight, marital status) and employer coverage (1+ employee threshold vs. 15+ for Title VII). Where ELCRA offers greater protection, Michigan employers must adhere to its standards.