I'm just wondering if I have a right to request my termination in writing, before I give back any company equipment / vehicle?

The company I work for has let a number of people go over the last 8 months. I've kept in touch with a couple of the former employees, and have found out that the company is fighting thier unemployment claims (one for over 6 months now), saying that they quit or weren't following company procedures. I'm still employed, but in the event it happens to me too, can I make them give me a termination notice in writing to have as evidence when making an unemployment claim?

I am not aware of any law in Michigan that requires an employer to provide a termination notice. Many employers may do so voluntarily.

Feel free to contact DLEG directly: http://www.michigan.gov/cis/0,1607,7-154-27673-94126--,00.html. They should be able to provide you with a definitive answer.

With respect to unemployment: When an employer contests benefits, the burden of proof is on the employer to provide evidence for misconduct etal. Ultimately the final decision is at the hands of your state's UC board. And if benefits are denied, you always have the right to appeal.

I do not thin MI has such a law, however I am not certain.

What reason do you anticipate you would be let go? And, would it be the same or a different reason than the others you referenced?

To the best of my ability to discover, and I have done considerable research on this subject, no state requires an employer to provide you with written notice of your termination, at the time you are termed. The closest I have been able to come up with is GA, which has a form they are required to provide you for unemployment purposes.

There ARE a few states in which, by submitting a written request, your employer is required to provide what's called a "service letter" which includes, among other things, the reason for your termination. However, Michigan is not one of the states that requires a service letter.