Federal & State Regulations | National origin discrimination - Michigan

State Info

Summary of differences between federal and state regulations

Employer defined

“Employer” means a person who has one or more employees, and includes an agent of that person.

Unlawful employment practices

The unlawful employment practices and exemptions are similar to those under the federal Guidelines on Discrimination Because of National Origin. For example, the state law includes an exemption for a bona fide occupational qualification, as well as exemptions for certain religious organizations.

An employer must do both of the following if that employer lists racial or ethnic classifications in a record, and if that employer requests that an individual select a classification to designate his or her race or ethnicity:

Include in the writing the term “multiracial” as a classification, and a definition of that term that substantially provides that “multiracial” means having parents of different races; and
Exclude from the term “other” as a classification.

If a federal agency requires an employer to transmit information obtained from an individual, but rejects the classification “multiracial,” the employer must redesignate the individuals identified as multiracial by allocating them to racial or ethnic classifications approved by the federal agency in the same ratio that those classifications occur within the general population of the group from which the information was solicited.