Earlier this week Senate Democrats released a set of recommendations focused on “Regenerating Michigan’s Economy and Protecting Workers’ Rights and Public Health.“ They released the report be report because the Democrats did not agree with the recommendations set forth by the bipartisan Senate Safe Behaviors for Safe Workplaces workgroup.
The Senate Democrats’ plan, if adopted, would:
- Establish mandatory screening protocols, social distancing policies and robust sanitation policies.
- Increase funding for the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) to hire and train staff that can “adequately respond” to COVID-19 workplace complaints.
- Expand paid sick leave coverage to all workers, regardless of company size and employment status, such that workers can accrue at least 72 hours of paid sick leave per year.
- Require employers obtain a list of testing sites from their local public health department and make it readily available to employees.
- Create a Statewide COVID-19 Safety Standard for businesses and local governments.
- Adopt a COVID-19 “resurgence plan” in the event that COVID-19 numbers begin to peak. They are calling for, at a minimum, to: immediately reverting to strict stay home and social distancing standards if there is a sudden spike in cases; increased educational outreach to the public so they are aware of the virus’s return; and re-deployment of certain state workers, as necessary, to assist local public health departments with increased contract-tracing.
- Release guidelines clarifying types of PPE and disinfecting products that are proven to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 most effectively.
The full plan may be viewed here. Please contact Wendy Block if you have any questions at wblock@michamber.com.