Facing a tight midnight deadline, the Michigan Legislature negotiated late into the night on Thursday, as members sought to finalize a deal on a pair of policies trimming back changes to the state’s minimum wage and paid sick time policies set to take effect the following day.
At the beginning of the year, the Republican-led House and Democratic-led Senate each offered their own proposals for retaining the state’s tipped wage and modifying new sick time requirements; they ultimately reached a deal with Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 4002, clearing several hurdles which could have prevented either policy from becoming law.
Although both bills were presented to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer with the expectation of a signature, House Bill 4002, which dealt with earned sick time, was not presented to the governor until 1:30 a.m. Friday, after the midnight deadline. How that will impact the legislation is unclear.
Without action from the Legislature, the minimum wage would increase to $12.48 on Friday, gradually rising to $14.97 by 2028 and phasing out the tipped wage by 2030. Employers with fewer than 10 employees would be required to offer up to 40 hours of paid sick leave and 32 hours of unpaid leave accrued over the year, while businesses with 10 or more employees must offer 72 hours of paid sick leave a year.
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