Advocacy News – Aug. 14, 2024
It’s been two weeks since the Michigan Supreme Court released its monumental decision in the paid sick leave and minimum wage case, and the Michigan Chamber has been working hard to help members understand their compliance obligations and lawmakers understand the negative implications the decision could have on employers and workers alike – urging a bipartisan solution.
What we’ve been doing:
- The MI Chamber has organized a diverse coalition of 55 business groups (and counting) who share our concerns about the Court’s decision. Read the coalition leave-behind, aimed at informing lawmakers.
- Scheduled meetings with over two dozen key lawmakers to ask for their help in passing legislation to soften the impact of the Court’s decision. More will follow.
- Hosted two webinars to educate employers on the Court’s decision and their compliance obligations. You can view an on-demand recording of the compliance webinar we did with our legal partners at Barnes & Thornburg. (Free for members and $49 for non-members).
- Crafted and posted a toolkit full of compliance resources, including an FAQ, comparison of the Paid Medical Leave Act (current law) and the Earned Sick Time Act (what the Court ordered into effect come 2/21/25) and more. View the toolkit HERE or by clicking on top left box above.
- Asked the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) for clarity on dozens of questions we’ve gotten from members and are pushing them to release the minimum wage schedule sooner rather than later.
- Gongwer News reports that “State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks said she is seeking guidance from the Department of Attorney General on the adopt and amend Supreme Court ruling, requiring her agency to calculate an inflation-adjusted minimum wage. …Eubanks said that although the court requires Treasury to implement the changes by November, the department is looking for clarification from the attorney general on ‘a technical standing’ of what the wording in the court decision means to figure out a calculation as the court intended. Eubanks said the department is not close to looking at an actual number or rate yet to adhere to the changes.”
- Conducted dozens of interviews – from radio and tv to print – on this issue, sharing concerns about the decision and its damaging impacts and far-reaching consequences for both employers and workers.
- We are also working on a grassroots strategy for our members and the business community as a whole. To get legislation across the finish line, job providers will need to be active in their communities and make their voices heard with lawmakers; stay tuned for more.
Have questions? Contact Wendy Block.