HOUSE BILL No. 5025

 

September 28, 2011, Introduced by Reps. Poleski, Shaughnessy, Shirkey, McMillin, Agema, Lyons, Kowall, Price and Haines and referred to the Committee on Oversight, Reform, and Ethics.

 

     A bill to amend 1978 PA 390, entitled

 

"An act to regulate the time and manner of payment of wages and

fringe benefits to employees; to prescribe rights and

responsibilities of employers and employees, and the powers and

duties of the department of labor; to require keeping of records;

to provide for settlement of disputes regarding wages and fringe

benefits; to prohibit certain practices by employers; to prescribe

penalties and remedies; and to repeal certain acts and parts of

acts,"

 

by amending section 7 (MCL 408.477), as amended by 1995 PA 278.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 7. (1) Except for those deductions required or expressly

 

permitted by law or by a collective bargaining agreement, an

 

employer shall not deduct from the wages of an employee, directly

 

or indirectly, any amount including an employee contribution to a

 

separate segregated fund established by a corporation or labor

 

organization under section 55 of the Michigan campaign finance act,


 

Act No. 388 of the Public Acts of 1976, being section 169.255 of

 

the Michigan Compiled Laws 1976 PA 388, MCL 169.255, without the

 

full, free, and written consent of the employee, obtained without

 

intimidation or fear of discharge for refusal to permit the

 

deduction.

 

     (2) A deduction permitted by a collective bargaining agreement

 

for labor organization membership requires annual written consent

 

by the employee, which consent may be revoked by the employee at

 

any time. This subsection shall not be construed to impair the

 

labor organization's ability to bargain for the right to collect an

 

agency fee or fair share contribution from a nonmember, as

 

permitted by law.

 

     (3) (2) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection and

 

subsection (4) section, a deduction for the benefit of the employer

 

requires written consent from the employee for each wage payment

 

subject to the deduction. , and the The cumulative amount of the

 

deductions shall not reduce the gross wages paid to a rate less

 

than minimum rate as defined in the minimum wage law of 1964, Act

 

No. 154 of the Public Acts of 1964, being sections 408.381 to

 

408.398 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1964 PA 154, MCL 408.381 to

 

408.398. A nonprofit organization shall obtain a written consent

 

from an employee for deductions to that nonprofit organization that

 

qualify as charitable contributions under federal law. However,

 

this subsection does not require the nonprofit organization to

 

obtain from an employee a separate written consent for each

 

subsequent paycheck from which deductions that qualify as

 

charitable contributions that benefit the employer are made. An


 

employee at any time may rescind in writing his or her

 

authorization to have charitable contributions deducted from his or

 

her paycheck. As used in this subsection, "nonprofit organization"

 

means an organization that is exempt from taxation under section

 

501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code, 26 USC 501.

 

     (4) (3) Each deduction from the wages of an employee shall be

 

substantiated in the records of the employer and shall be

 

identified as pertaining to an individual employee. Prorating of

 

deductions between 2 or more employees is not permitted.

 

     (5) (4) Within 6 months after making an overpayment of wages

 

or fringe benefits that are paid directly to an employee, an

 

employer may deduct the overpayment from the employee's regularly

 

scheduled wage payment without the written consent of the employee

 

if all of the following conditions are met:

 

     (a) The overpayment resulted from a mathematical

 

miscalculation, typographical error, clerical error, or misprint in

 

the processing of the employee's regularly scheduled wages or

 

fringe benefits.

 

     (b) The miscalculation, error, or misprint described in

 

subdivision (a) was made by the employer, the employee, or a

 

representative of the employer or employee.

 

     (c) The employer provides the employee with a written

 

explanation of the deduction at least 1 pay period before the wage

 

payment affected by the deduction is made.

 

     (d) The deduction is not greater than 15% of the gross wages

 

earned in the pay period in which the deduction is made.

 

     (e) The deduction is made after the employer has made all


 

deductions expressly permitted or required by law or a collective

 

bargaining agreement, and after any employee-authorized deduction.

 

     (f) The deduction does not reduce the regularly scheduled

 

gross wages otherwise due the employee to a rate that is less than

 

the greater of either of the following:

 

     (i) The minimum rate as prescribed by subsection (2).(3).

 

     (ii) The minimum rate as prescribed by the fair labor standards

 

act of 1938, chapter 676, 52 Stat. 1060, 29 U.S.C. USC 201 to 216

 

and 217 to 219.

 

     (6) (5) An employee who believes his or her employer has

 

violated subsection (4) (5) may file a complaint with the

 

department within 12 months after the date of the alleged

 

violation.

 

     (7) (6) As used in this section, "employer" means an

 

individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, association, or

 

corporation, public or private, this state or an agency of this

 

state, a city, county, village, township, school district, or

 

intermediate school district, an institution of higher education,

 

or an individual acting directly or indirectly in the interest of

 

an employer who employs 1 or more individuals.