Statute of Limitations for Wrongful Termination (common law) in Michigan

Overview

Michigan’s general statute of limitations for a common-law wrongful termination claim is 6 years under MCL § 767.24(1). Because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was identified for this topic, that 6-year period is the default deadline to track for this reference page.

Common-law wrongful termination claims in Michigan can overlap with multiple legal theories, but the filing clock is driven by the cause of action you are actually asserting. For a broad reference page like this, the key point is straightforward: if the claim is being treated as a general common-law wrongful termination claim and no more specific limitation period applies, the 6-year period is the number to use.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you test the deadline against the date the claim accrued. That matters because the last day to file is usually tied to the termination date or another legally relevant accrual date, not the day you decide to pursue the case.

Limitation period

The limitation period is 6 years in Michigan for this common-law wrongful termination reference, measured from accrual. Under the default rule supplied for this jurisdiction, the countdown begins when the claim accrues, which is typically the date the termination occurred or the date the actionable injury was complete.

Here is the practical filing effect:

A simple way to think about it:

• If the termination date is the accrual date: add 6 years.
• If a different accrual date applies: use that date instead.
• If tolling applies: the 6-year period may stop running for a period of time.

For example, if a wrongful termination claim accrued on March 15, 2020, the default Michigan deadline would land on March 15, 2026, unless a recognized exception changes the calculation.

When you run the DocketMath calculator, the output should answer three practical questions:

1. What date started the clock?
2. What is the base deadline after 6 years?
3. Was the claim filed before or after that deadline?

That structure makes it easier to compare multiple scenarios, especially when termination, notice, or later events create uncertainty about accrual.

Key exceptions

No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found for this topic, so the 6-year default applies unless a separate doctrine changes the clock. In other words, the reference rule is simple; the exceptions are what can make the deadline move.

Common deadline issues to check include:

• Tolling

  • If a legally recognized tolling event applies, the running of the 6-year period can pause.
  • This can happen when the law treats certain periods of disability, concealment, or other qualifying circumstances as suspending the clock.

• Accrual disputes

  • Not every claim starts on the same day.
  • If the actionable injury occurred before the termination date, or if the claim depends on later confirmation, the accrual date may shift.

• Continuing conduct arguments

  • A plaintiff may argue that later acts extend the timeline.
  • That argument does not automatically change the limitation period; it depends on whether a new actionable claim actually arose.

• Different legal theory, different deadline

  • A common-law wrongful termination theory is not the same thing as a statutory discrimination, wage, or retaliation claim.
  • If the case is pleaded under another statute, a shorter or different filing period may control.

Quick checklist for deadline review:

Statute citation

The governing citation provided for this Michigan reference is MCL § 767.24(1). The jurisdiction data supplied for this page identifies that statute as the general/default authority and gives the limitation period as 6 years.

For reference-page use, the citation should be tracked as:

Because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found, this page should be read as a general/default limitations reference rather than a specialized rule for a narrower wrongful termination subtype. That distinction matters when a user is comparing a common-law claim against a statutory claim with its own deadline.

If you are documenting the deadline in a workflow, a clean citation format would be:

• Michigan common-law wrongful termination reference period: 6 years
• Authority: MCL § 767.24(1)

Use the calculator

Use DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator to turn the 6-year rule into a filing deadline based on the actual accrual date. The tool is designed to convert the rule into a date-specific answer, which is especially useful when the termination date, notice date, or tolling facts are not identical.

Open the tool here: /tools/statute-of-limitations

What to enter:

1. Jurisdiction: Michigan
2. Claim date: the date the claim accrued
3. Event type: termination or other relevant accrual event
4. Any tolling dates: if applicable
5. Filing date: to test timeliness

How the output changes:

• Earlier accrual date → earlier deadline
• Later accrual date → later deadline
• Tolling period added → deadline extends by the tolling interval
• Different claim type selected → the calculator may show a different statutory period if one applies

That makes the calculator useful for:

• intake teams screening potential cases,
• litigators checking a draft complaint deadline,
• HR or compliance teams preserving records, and
• paralegals building a date timeline.

A practical workflow looks like this:

• Confirm the termination date
• Decide whether the claim accrued on that date
• Enter the 6-year Michigan period
• Add any tolling facts
• Compare the resulting deadline against the planned filing date

Sources and references

Start with the primary authority for Michigan and confirm the effective date before relying on any output. If the rule has been amended, update the inputs and rerun the calculation.

• MCL § 600.5807

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — How to choose the right calculator