Sweatt v. Department of Corrections

We granted leave to appeal in this case to consider whether defendant must pay plaintiff differential worker’s compensation benefits, i.e., partial-disability benefits, under subsection 361(1) of the Worker’s Disability Compensation Act (wdca), MCL 418.101 et seq., where defendant, by law, cannot rehire plaintiff because of plaintiff’s “commission of a crime.” The worker’s compensation magistrate concluded that the fact that plaintiff is no longer able to work for defendant as a result of plaintiff’s “commission of a crime” does not relieve defendant of its responsibility to pay plaintiff…