Our lives largely center around work, as a steady income is essential for maintaining a comfortable and healthy lifestyle. In the past three decades, the cost of living has risen dramatically, creating increased financial pressure on individuals and families alike. While not everyone can enjoy financial stability, it remains a goal that many, if not most, people are actively pursuing.

Those of us that have careers know what it's like to have PTO, bereavement, personal holidays, maternity leave, and sick leave. These are privileges that are granted to us as employees in addition to our paychecks that we earn according to the law. Many of us working careers are given a set amount of PTO, sick leave, etc. but all things are not created equally as those numbers may vary depending on your status and role in the company.

In 2018, a Republican-led House in Michigan passed initiative language that the Supreme Court said had to be adopted by Feb 21st, 2025. As they are set to go into motion, lawmakers are scrambling to put together a resolution that satisfies business owners.

The Michigan Supreme Court voted that the 2018 Legislature lacked the authority to adopt language from a petition initiative and then immediately amend the law to reduce the amount of paid sick leave workers could earn because they were installed unconstitutionally.

The original Republican legislature says employers are required to give employees one hour for every 30 hours worked or 72 hours per year while giving an exemption to businesses with less than 50 employees. The amended version allowed for only 40 hours to be accrued instead.

Starting Feb. 21, 2025, employees in Michigan will earn one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Businesses with 10 or more employees will have to allow workers to accrue up to 72 hours of paid sick per year. While businesses with less than 10 employees will allow up to 40 hours of paid sick leave if accrued.

Complaints & Concerns

Here are the grievances being reported by various businesses and business associations:

• Restore exemptions for businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Create exemptions for part-time, seasonal, temporary workers, subcontractors and youth employees.
• Remove a provision in the law that allows employees to submit notices for using leave "as soon as practicable." Business groups say in practice, this provision will allow employees to have up to 72 hours of "no call, no show" time each year.
• Allow employers to frontload paid leave time at the start of each year, rather than needing employees to accrue it.
• Remove language allowing employees to take legal action against employers for interfering with or retaliating against the use of earned sick time.

Labor unions and petitioners strongly support the current wording of the law and are concerned about potential changes under the 103rd Legislature. Currently, the 102nd Legislature concluded without any resolutions, but both factions of the 103rd are swiftly introducing bills related to this matter.

One perspective seeks to establish a clear definition of business responsibilities regarding employee leave policies, specifically the amount of leave to be provided. Conversely, the opposing view advocates for granting employers greater discretion in determining how they allocate and recognize paid sick leave for their staff.