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Governor's New Executive Order Ensures Protections For Workers Who Stay Home When They're Sick

LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order Friday to reinstate protections for Michigan workers as the state continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

This comes after the federal government allowed federal pandemic unemployment assistance for Americans who have lost work as a result of this virus to lapse at the end of July, putting pressure on more people to return to work, even if they're sick.

Under this executive order:

  • The governor 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.
  • Employers must treat employees who stay home when they are sick as if he or she were taking medical leave.
  • Any and all Michiganders who test positive for COVID-19 or who display one or more of the principal symptoms, such as a fever, sore throat, a new uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headache, and new loss of taste or smell should stay home.
  • Individuals 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 an individual 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. Additionally, they may leave to partake in an outdoor activity, such as walking, hiking, running, cycling, or any other recreational activity consistent with remaining at least six feet from others.

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