(WWJ) A new order by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer maintains some special protections for Michigan workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whitmer on Thursday signed Executive Order 2020-172, which prohibits employers from discharging, disciplining or retaliating against employees who make the "responsible choice" to stay home when they or their close contacts are sick.
The order, protecting employees who stay home when sick from retaliation, comes at a critical time when unemployed and underemployed workers face uncertainty after the Trump Administration allowed the $600 pandemic unemployment benefit to expire, the governor's office says.
“Every hardworking Michigander should feel empowered to make the responsible choice and stay home if they or someone they have been in contact with is sick,” said Gov. Whitmer. “COVID-19 is still a very real threat to our families, our frontline workers, and our economy, and it’s crucial that anyone who experiences any of the symptoms of this virus stay home. These protections will help to slow the spread of the virus and save lives, but we still need the federal government to work together in a bipartisan way to expand unemployment benefits and provide support for our workers and their families.”
Under Executive Order 2020-172 is really just a revised and updated version of a previous order concerning worker protections.
READ: Executive Order 2020-172
Under the order, any and all Michiganders who test positive for COVID-19 or who display one or more of the principal symptoms should stay home
Specifically, the order states that employers must treat employees who stay home when they are sick as if he or she were taking medical leave.
Executive Order 2020-172 also clarifies that a worker should stay home if they have any one of the following not explained by a known medical or physical condition: a fever, an uncontrolled cough, and shortness of breath; or at least two of the following not explained by a known medical or physical condition: loss of taste or smell, muscle aches (“myalgia”), sore throat, severe headache, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Under the order, employees must remain home until 24 hours have passed since the resolution of fever without medication, or 10 days have passed since their symptoms first appeared or were tested positive.
As a rule, if someone has a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 or has had close contact with a confirmed positive case they should only leave their home for essential trips, to obtain food, medicine or medical care — just like the rules for all Michiganders back with the "stay home" order was in effect. In addition, the order says it's OK for anyone with a suspected case to leave home to partake in an outdoor activity, such as walking, hiking, running, cycling, or any other recreational activit, as long as it's possible to stay at least six feet from others.
This comes one day before Michigan is expected to hit an unwelcomed milestone concerning the coronavirus. The health department reported 758 new cases of the virus on Thursday, bringing the statewide total to 99,958 — just 42 short of the 100,000 mark. There were also 16 deaths reprted, although all but one occurred earlier and were just reported after viral records were reviewed.
Health officials say the most recent outbreaks have been in longterm care facilities and social gatherings, like weddings.
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