Michigan Employers: Last week, in Mothering Justice et al. v. Attorney General et al., the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that Michigan’s current paid sick leave law, the Paid Medical Leave Act, was unlawfully adopted by the legislature.
The reason for this decision is based on the fact that the legislature initially adopted a more employee-friendly ballot initiative (the Michigan Earned Sick Time Act) and then amended it into a more employer-friendly paid sick leave law (which is the law that they ultimately passed).
Now, nearly five and a half years after the Paid Medical Leave Act went into effect, the Court ruled that the law would be replaced with the original ballot initiative, the Earned Sick Time Act, effective February 21, 2025.
The “new” law will cover a far greater number of employers and employees, and also features a faster accrual rate, more generous overall accrual and carryover provisions, and a higher annual usage limit, among other employee-friendly provisions. The Supreme Court’s decision also impacts the state’s minimum wage, which will increase to $12 per hour effective February 21, 2025.
With year-end approaching, employers with employees in Michigan will want to keep these developments in mind.