Editor's note: This story is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute legal advice in any way. For qualified legal services, consult with a licensed professional.
A campus tour guide, a resident advisor, and a peer mentor walk into a bar. There isn't a punchline in this hypothetical, but their drink money might be protected if they understood their rights in the workplace as student employees.
Students who work at Eastern Michigan University are bound by state and federal labor laws, but there are also university-specific policies that influence how their on-campus jobs play out.
Discrimination
Michigan is an at-will employment state, meaning that employers and employees alike can terminate employment for any reason that is not protected by other legal provisions. The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1976 lays out discrimination protections for Michigan workers, and EMU's non-discrimination notice affirms that the university does not discriminate based on "race, color, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, ancestry, disability, military status, veteran status or other non-merit reasons, in admissions, educational programs or activities and employment."
Pay
At EMU, student employees may earn an hourly rate between the state minimum wage, which rose in Jan. 2026 to $13.73, and $15 an hour, according to an FAQ page on the University Advising and Career Development Center's website. Another answer on that page explains that students can generally work up to 29 hours per week, but international students are limited to 20 per week when school is in session. Minors are also subject to unique restrictions, based on the specific age in question, as laid out in an EMU human resources document from 2022. The Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act, another Michigan law, forbids pay inequalities based on sex.
Breaks
Michigan does not specifically require employers to provide breaks to their adult employees. According to the EMU Student Employment Policy document, "EMU allows employees a paid 15 minute break during each four hours worked and an unpaid 30 minute break/lunch for 6-8 hour shifts."
Injury and sickness
Students worried about unpredictable factors while employed on campus may be relieved to know that Michigan's Workers' Disability Compensation Act has protected compensation rights related to injuries on the job since 1969. In 2025, the Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) shifted the Michigan landscape around sick leave. Michigan workers, including those employed on campus, accrue one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours they work. At workplaces with 11 or more employees, this bank of sick time may be capped at 72 hours per year.
Epilogue
After discussing all of these topics in depth over drinks, the three student employees walked out of the bar together, empowered by their collective knowledge of their rights. They needed to take the night off from work; however, as EMU policy prohibits intoxication on the clock.
