Michigan workplace rules updated as state drops restrictions

(The Center Square) – State regulators filed new COVID-19 emergency rules, effective Tuesday, as Michigan ended capacity restrictions and its mask mandate.

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) filed COVID-19 emergency rules to align with Federal OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). The updated rules, effective Tuesday, will expire Dec. 22, 2021 and replace rules issued on May 24, 2021.

Updated rules focus on health care settings where people might have a higher exposure risk of COVID-19 exposure.

“As we continue to get Michigan back to work, our priority remains keeping workplaces safe for employees and protecting customers as they support these businesses,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. “With our state at full capacity, we can boost our economic Jumpstart and ensure businesses can emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever while keeping their workers safe.”

More lax workplace rules for non-health care settings allow employers to use their best judgment deciding whether to continue daily health screenings, a mask mandate, and social distancing requirements.

“These updates recognize the great progress we have made in Michigan to contain COVID-19 and the power of vaccinations. We will continue to provide critical workplace protections more focused on areas of increased COVID-19 risk,” Michigan COVID-19 Workplace Safety Director Sean Egan said in a statement. “In non-health care settings, it’s important that all employers recognize that they have a general duty to provide a safe workplace.”

Previously, Whitmer had threatened to make COVID-19 restrictions permanent but changed her mind through a landmark deal struck with the Legislature.

Last month, MIOSHA rolled back rules to exempt fully vaccinated individuals for distancing and mask requirements. Michiganders could return to the office for in-person work on May 24.

Small Business Association of Michigan President Brian Calley responded to the loosened MIOSHA rules.

“Small businesses have been among the hardest hit by this pandemic,” Calley said in a statement. “We’ve said since the beginning that small business owners know best how to run their businesses. The restoration of the autonomy of small business owners to establish workplace practices of their choosing is an important step toward recovery. It moves Michigan more in line with the mainstream across the country.”

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