- Video shows Benjamin Jones, President of US Staffing, sharing his concerns regarding the Employee Sick Time Act.
- This law, effective next month, is changing the ways businesses offer sick time.
- Jackson Chamber President and CEO, Ryan Tarrant, explains issues involving paid sick leave. See below.
"It could be up to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for us," says US Staffing President, Benjamin Jones, referring to the impact future sick time changes could have on his business. The Jackson business is a staffing agency that sends workers to local businesses, like manufacturers.
Right now, changes coming next month, statewide, mean many businesses would have to offer workers paid time off for sick days. Currently, employers in Michigan with more than 50 employees have to provide up to five days of paid sick time, but the changes coming next month mean those same employers would have to provide nine days of paid sick time.
Jones has some concerns. He says, "This act will require us to include all of those expenses on all of our employees. In Michigan, that's probably around 200 employees that we have, so it's a significant increase to our expenses." According to Jones, this expense could lead to his business reducing head count and finding other expenses to cut. "That, in turn, is going to hurt the local economies within Michigan," he says.
WATCH: Jackson Chamber President and CEO, Ryan Tarrant, explains potential issues involving the Employee Sick Time Act
President and CEO of the Jackson Chamber, Ryan Tarrant, gives his take on how these changes could impact local businesses. "I think everybody believes that employees should receive sick time and have those opportunities for time off," says Tarrant. However, Tarrant says some of the details of the changes on the way leave him hoping lawmakers step in to fix it. He says this new law will not only change the way businesses offer sick leave, but could stifle entrepreneurs who want to grow their business. "I think it really hurts job growth, not just here in Jackson, but across the state," says Tarrant.
These implications are causing concern for businesses, like Jones'. "There are a lot of solutions out there other than just mandating sick time," says Jones.
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