Join us this coming January for our VSHRM Seminar! See below for program details and check out our Speaker highlights on LinkedIn! You can register by clicking on "Register for Event" below. Click the speaker's name to see more information!
๐นExplore the impact of positive recognition; practice crafting messages for people when itโs easy and recognize and recognize people you struggle to recognize
๐นCraft a โpositive upward spiralโ mindset to offer recognition more readily while enhancing the quality of connection to strengthen and align relationships and teams.
๐นOffers HR professionals valuable insights into self-awareness and leadership to help shape decision-making, workplace culture, and leadership effectiveness.
๐นAn interactive session blending comedy, magic, and HR principles to explore the power of communication in connecting with employees, reading non-verbal cues, and improving team dynamics.
HORIZON'S CONFERENCE CENTER | 6200 STATE STREET, SAGINAW, MI | 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM | $99 Member Investment, $129 for non-members
Please note โ registrations received after Thursday, January 9, will be subject to an additional $30 late fee. ***The virtual version of this meeting will go live no later than 11:45 a.m.*** The virtual meeting link will be emailed to participants on Tuesday morning.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT-Ricardo Resio, SHRM-SCP, SPHR
With 2024 coming to an end, please know how much of an honor it is for the Board and me to work with you and the energy you bring to our chapter. It is so exciting to kick off the year with tons of more energy and purpose in 2025!
Hereโs to a successful and fulfilling year ahead for all of us! Iโm thrilled to invite you to our second annual HR Development Day this Januaryโa day designed to inspire, connect, and grow HR professionals. This premier event features distinguished speakers who are not only experts but also published authors, ready to share their insights on customer service, recognition, leadership, and communication. With a dozen sponsors offering valuable resources and solutions, this is an event you wonโt want to miss! Iโm personally bringing a group from my company, and you are encouraged to invite your colleagues and peers as well. Letโs make this a truly collaborative day of professional growth and networking. Donโt forget to spread the word on social media using our event hashtag, #UnlockHRMagic, and help us make this a standout occasion!
In addition to HR Development Day, we also have the regional compensation survey in partnership with theAmerican Society of Employers. This free resource for participating members launches on January 20th, offering valuable insights to help your organization stay competitive. As we move forward together, please take a moment to renew your membership and continue to be part of this incredible community. Lastly, thank you for your generous contributions to the Underground Railroad at our December meeting. Your kindness and support made a meaningful impact, and the organization has expressed their heartfelt gratitude. Be sure to check out the photo below that captures this special moment of giving back.
Together, weโll make 2025 a year of growth, collaboration, and success.
With appreciation and best wishes for the New Year, -Ricardo
LANSING, Mich. โ Michiganโs Minimum Wage will increase twice in 2025 โ first increasing on Jan. 1, 2025, following the usual rate increase schedule, and again on Feb. 21, 2025, in accordance with the recent Michigan Supreme Court ruling regarding the Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act (IWOWA), PA 337 of 2018, schedule.
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Issues Updated FAQs on the Earned Sick Time Act
James M. Reid, IV, HONIGAN
Alert Dec 9, 2024
In October 2024, Michiganโs Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) issued its first set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the ESTA (Earned Sick Time Act), which we highlighted in one of our previous client alerts here. Recently, LEO expanded upon and revised its responses through updated FAQs. Below are a few highlights of the updated FAQs:
Employees Eligible to Receive Sick Time:
LEO previously stated that only employees for whom employers are required to withhold taxes are eligible for EST (Earned Sick Time). The updated FAQ now aligns with the more vague statutory language, defining an eligible employee as โan individual engaged in service to an employer in the business of the employer.โ
Documentation:
In the updated FAQs, LEO elaborates that employers may ask questions of an employee to determine if their leave meets the eligible uses for EST. Employers may require reasonable documentation for absences exceeding three consecutive days but cannot request details about the illness or specifics of any violence that serves as the basis for the EST usage.
Sick Time Payment in Place of Carryover:
Employers have sought clarification on whether they can maintain policies that allow for the payout of unused sick time at the end of the year in lieu of carryover. LEO clarified that unused sick time cannot be paid out at year-end; instead, it must carry over to the next year. If an employee is rehired within six months, any unused time must be reinstated.
Employee Threshold:
Employers must count all U.S. employees to determine if they meet the 10-employee threshold. For example, a company with nine employees early in the year that hires a 10th employee for 20 weeks later in the year is classified as a large employer for the remainder of that year and the following year.
Unionized Workplaces:
Under the ESTA, the law specifies that, for employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in effect on the Actโs effective date, the provisions of the ESTA will apply starting on the CBAโs stated expiration date. The updated FAQs introduce a new interpretation, however: if the CBA does not address sick time, the ESTA will apply to employees covered by that agreement as of February 21, 2025, regardless of when the CBA is set to expire.
Front Loading Hours:
Prior LEO guidance indicated that employers could front load sick time under the Act. In the updated FAQ, LEO confirmed that front loading is permissible but clarified that, since there is no cap on the amount of sick time an employee can accrue or carry over, employers should review employee accruals at least annually to ensure they are proportionate to hours worked and carry over any remaining balance.
Additionally, LEO noted that employers are permitted to recover frontloaded time if an employee uses more sick leave than they would have accrued by the time of their separation. This deduction cannot reduce the final paycheck below minimum wage, and the employer must have a prior written, voluntary agreement with the employee for the deduction.
Use of Sick Time:
The Act outlines that earned sick time can be used in either (i) one-hour increments or (ii) the smallest time increment used by the employerโs payroll system to track absences or other time off. The new guidance provides an example to clarify this rule for employers. LEO explains that, if an employer tracks time in 1/10th of an hour (six minutes), then earned sick time must be used in six-minute increments. Alternatively, if the employer tracks time in 1/2 hour (thirty-minute) blocks, then sick time must be used in thirty-minute increments.
Concurrent FMLA & the ESTA Time:
The ESTA leave may run concurrently with FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) leave, but the ESTA notice and documentation requirements take precedence while the ESTA time is in use. Once exhausted, standard FMLA notice and documentation rules apply.
๏ปฟ
As the February 21, 2025, implementation date approaches, employers are left with several unresolved questions and uncertainties. Moreover, a bill to amend the ESTA has been introduced in the Legislature, and further updates are possible. For now, Employers are encouraged to attend Honigmanโs webinar on December 11, 2024, for a comprehensive overview of the ESTA. Clients can otherwise reach out to one of Honigmanโs Labor and Employment attorneys here for further assistance.
