24 MiMfg Magazine July 2021
MFG Voice
Mike
Johnston Caroline Liethen David Worthams Vice President of Director of Environmental Director of Human Government Mike Johnston Affairs & Regulatory Dave Greco Policy David Resource Worthams Policy
Your MMA Government Affairs Team at Work
Big Win : MIOSHA Rescinds COVID-19 Emergency Workplace Rules
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( MIOSHA ) officially rescinded COVID-19 Emergency Workplace Rules that broadly applied to all employers in June , replacing them with a new standard that only applies to health care employers .
With the rules rescinded , decisions regarding the following issues are now left up to each individual employer : daily health screening , face covering requirements , social distancing requirements , record keeping requirements and requirements for a COVID-19 response and preparedness plan .
Employers are urged to review the latest CDC guidelines for best practices to mitigate COVID-19 hazards at cdc . gov / coronavirus .
Senate Approves MMA- Supported Aggregate Bills
The Senate voted to approve MMAsupported legislation to address a shortage of aggregate materials used in infrastructure projects . Senate Bills 429 , 430 , and 431 ( Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich , D-Flint ) will guarantee that necessary aggregate materials are available to rebuild Michigan ’ s infrastructure while the state ’ s taxpayer costs and protecting our environment and communities to improve our state ’ s infrastructure and economic competitiveness .
Unemployment Agency Enforcing Work Search
The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency ( UIA ) began enforcing work search requirements on claimants at the end of May . During the first week that the requirement returned , over 100,000 fewer claimants were actively receiving unemployment benefits . This is good news , and we look forward to this number continuing to drop as the additional federal unemployment pandemic assistance ends in September .
To preserve the integrity of Michigan ’ s employer-funded unemployment system , employers should report any claimant that refuses an offer for suitable work to the UIA using your MiWAM account . Those who accept an offer of work but do not show up for that accepted work should also be reported ( aka “ ghosting ”). Scan the code at right to learn more in Fact Sheet 144C .
Employer-Funded UI Trust Fund Solvent
The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency is optimistic about the health of Michigan ’ s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund ( UITF ), which has been hard hit by a record 5.1 million claims in the last 14 months . Fraudulent claims also diminished the employer-financed fund by an estimated $ 150 million . However , with an approximate balance of just more than $ 1 billion , the UIA projects that the UITF will remain solvent for the remainder of 2021 and through 2022 .
Michigan Launches Back to Work Resources for Employers
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has developed a new “ Back to Work ” online resource , michigan . gov / backtowork , which centralizes programs and services aimed at helping employers fill job openings and maintain safe work environments for employees . Key programs include :
• Work Share , which permits employers to bring back or keep employees working with reduced hours while supplementing wages with unemployment benefits . Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic , Michigan ’ s Work Share program is estimated to have saved the employer-funded UITF $ 90 million and helped employers retain nearly 100,000 jobs .
• Childcare Tri-Share Program , a pilot program that will use federal dollars to provide more affordable childcare through an innovative , bipartisan costsharing program that divides cost equally between employees , employers and the state .
• MIOSHA Ambassador Program , which provides free education to help employers create safe workplaces without the risk of any potential penalty or citation . More than 4,000 businesses have participated since September 2020 .
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