With coronavirus now reported in Michigan one policy group is renewing calls for paid sick leave.
Under current Michigan law companies with fewer than 50 employees are not required to provide paid sick leave.
Gilda Jacobs is with the Michigan League for Public Policy. She said without paid time off many workers, particularly food service workers, will likely still come to work.
“People are not going to have the cash to pay for their groceries, to pay for their rent. So they’ll come in to work sick. It’s putting everybody at risk.”
Jacobs said the state needs to step up and protect both workers and public health.
“We’re on the verge of a pandemic crisis and as a state and as a federal government we have to do everything we can to help people affected by this.”
Wendy Block is a spokesperson for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, which opposed an expanded version of the Paid Medical Leave Act in 2018. She said businesses should review their paid sick time policies.
“But we think everyone needs to take a deep breath. We need to be thoughtful in how we respond in how we respond from a policy making perspective. And employers need to be thoughtful about how they address this in the workplace with their HR policies.”
Block said at this time there does not need to be an expansion of the Paid Medical Leave Act, although the chamber will continue to monitor the situation.