- Governor Whitmer signed bills into law impacting businesses, including changes to earned sick time and minimum wage.
- Monica Gauthier, co-owner of Groovy Donuts, faces new challenges as her business has 15 employees, 5 more than considered to be a small business, requiring 72 hours of paid sick leave.
- The minimum wage increased by $1.92 on Friday and will rise another $2.52 over the next two years.
- Gauthier hopes small business owners can adapt and build better working relationships with employees despite these challenges.
"As a small business owner, the reality is ours, it hits so much harder."
Waking up early with a smile on her face isn't just part of Monica Gauthier's routine — it's part of her job.
"We spread joy one donut at a time," Gauthier said.
But Friday morning, for the co-owner of Groovy Donuts, started with a different emotion — concern.
"The definition of a small business with this is ten or fewer," Gauthier said.
State lawmakers and Governor Gretchen Whitmer have finally reached a bipartisan deal to make changes to the earned sick time laws.
I read through those changes and found that businesses with more than 10 employees now need to provide 72 hours of paid sick time off to their workers.
Gauthier has 15.
"So I guess congratulations, I'm a big business now," Gauthier said.
She already offers her employees five days of paid time off. Under these changes, she has to add another four days for every employee.
The minimum wage also increased by $1.92 on Friday and will rise another $2.52 within two years.
Lawmakers say this is a deal that supports all neighbors.
"This does something for workers. It gets them some paid sick leave, but it also allows businesses to know what the future looks like for them, so they can budget and be sustainable," State Representative Jay DeBoyer said.
A budget and plan Gauthier says she's already working through.
"Having that expense, we need to make changes to the cost of our products," Gauthier said.
Gauthier will be celebrating 10 years in business this year, hoping she and others will stand strong for more to come — serving a treat with a smile.
"I'm really hoping all small business owners can survive this, and we end up on the side of being able to have better working relationships with our employees."
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