The Drama of Michigan’s Earned Paid Sick and Safe Time Continues

In 2018, Michigan passed a strong earned paid sick and safe time ballot. Subsequently, the conservative legislature worked to weaken the law, and our Network Member, Mothering Justice, took them to court, saying that the legislature’s acts violated the constitution. Mothering Justice won in court in 2024.

Unfortunately, the legislature went back to weakening the law in early 2025. Family Values @ Work provided testimony and organized other national organizations to submit testimony against the proposed changes. The Senate Committee on Regulatory Affairs voted Senate Bill 15 out of committee and it is now moving to the Committee of the Whole.

Senate Bill 15 is harmful to the communities that need earned paid sick and safe time the most. Specifically, the bill increases the definition of a “small business” from those with 10 or fewer employees to those with 25 or fewer employees. This change hurts workers in those businesses by reducing the number of earned paid sick and safe days they can have. The four most recent states to pass paid sick time (Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Alaska) along with many other jurisdictions which have had their earned paid sick and safe day laws for several years – do not even differentiate by how many employees an employer has. All employees, regardless of employer size, have the same amount of earned paid sick and safe time in those jurisdictions. And all employees, regardless of employer size, need earned time to care so they can support themselves and their loved ones during illness and injury.

Senate Bill 15 also proposes an unnecessary barrier by making it more difficult for healthcare workers to access their earned paid sick and safe days. Most jurisdictions do not differentiate by employer type when it comes to the worker notifying the employer of the use of leave. Senate Bill 15 would put Michigan out of step with other states.

This bill also reduces workers’ rights by removing private right of action – a common provision in paid sick and safe days laws – and by removing presumption of retaliation. It is already hard enough for workers to fight for their rights and denying them ways to protect themselves is unjust.

When workers without paid sick days face illness, they must choose between caring for themselves and those they love or keeping their job. When workers without paid safe days face domestic or sexual violence, they are forced into this choice as well. The decision they make ripples out beyond any one person or family.

FV@W will continue to fight with Mothering Justice against these attacks on their earned paid sick and safe days law.

by Preston Van Vliet (they/he), FV@W Leading State Policy Organizer