Michigan’s Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) launched a new program focused on supporting Michigan businesses to reopen safely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program is called the MIOSHA Ambassador Program. It offers education and one-on-one guidance to help businesses understand regulations on workplace safety.
Why it Matters:
Whenever a state or federal government announces programs to assist companies, I’m reminded of Ronald Reagan’s quote, “[t]he nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.'”
However, from our own experience in assisting our business clients, this program could offer meaningful help. These clients have consistently sought to understand the regulations and implement best practices for complying with them. And both employers and employees routinely want to know how these regulations apply to their situation. So, Michigan’s Ambassador Program could provide a bridge between the uncertainty and what is required for businesses across the state.
Go Deeper:
Here are other guidance and resources from the Michigan Government for responding to COVID-19:
- Guidance and resources are posted at Michigan.gov/COVIDWorkplaceSafety.
- Educational materials in the Ambassador toolkit can be found at Michigan.gov/COVIDWorkplaceSafety and include:
- Sample COVID-19 preparedness and response plan
- Re-opening checklist
- MIOSHA guidelines
- Factsheets for the employer and employee
As Michigan continues to reopen the economy, employers will need to comply with the Michigan and federal policies, as well as to implement safety directives to help ensure a safe workplace for employees and customers. These resources – whether used with the Ambassador Program or just internally – are a good starting place to achieve a more safe environment for workers and customers.
Use this link to contact Michigan attorney Jason Shinn if you have questions about this article, or complying with Michigan or federal employment laws or litigating claims under both. Since 2001, Mr. Shinn has represented companies and individuals in employment discrimination claims under federal and Michigan employment laws.