MI extends expanded jobless benefits, relaxes work-share program eligibility rules

Unemployment benefits previously expanded by Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-24 (EO 24) were set to expire recently. Just before that happened, however, she issued EO 2020-57, which rescinds EO 24 and authorizes a nearly identical expansion of jobless benefits until “the declared states of emergency and disaster” during the COVID-19 pandemic have ended.

Who’s eligible for benefits of $962 per week

Under Governor Whitmer’s new EO, employees unable to report to work for the following reasons are eligible for the enhanced unemployment benefits of up to $962 per week:

• Being immunocompromised;
• Displaying a COVID-19 symptom;
• Having close contact with a confirmed coronavirus diagnosis in the last 14 days;
• Needing to care for someone with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis; and
• Fulfilling a family care responsibility as a result of a government directive (e.g., caring for a child whose school or childcare provider is closed or otherwise unavailable because of the coronavirus).

The order will exacerbate staffing issues for many employers that need to operate during the pandemic.

Some flexibility for MI employers

On the positive side if your business can operate with work-sharing arrangements, the new EO reduces some barriers to participation in the Michigan Work Share Program. You no longer need to have: