Q&A: COVID-19 and Unemployment in Michigan

This Q&A is excerpted from a State Innovation Exchange telephone townhall featuring Michigan state legislators. Questions came from various Michigan residents and answers have been edited for length and clarity.

What legislative efforts are being made to provide essential worker bonuses and benefits like hazard pay?

State Senator Stephanie Chang: My colleagues and I have advocated for more hazard pay for essential workers and grants or bonuses for our teachers.

Last year, we started the Futures for Frontliners program, which allows essential workers to get free tuition for community college or high school completion programs. I cannot understate how important it is to honor our frontline workers not just with words but also with action.

State Senator Camilleri: We are also talking about increasing the minimum wage because, as we saw during this pandemic, so many people on the front lines are not even making a living wage of $15 an hour.

State Representative Aiyash: I'm introducing legislation with Rep. Camilleri to give people a tax credit on any PPE that they purchase. Essential workers would qualify to get a tax credit for all of the PPE they purchase to keep working. That's one way that we're looking at trying to be creative and making sure that those on the frontlines are getting appreciation. Every worker is valuable, and it's time that we start showing that, not just in our words.

Michigan State Senator Stephanie Chang with COVID-19 test kit in the Michigan State Capitol

Michigan State Rep. Darrin Camilleri at the Michigan State Capitol — Michigan State Senator Stephanie Chang with COVID-19 test kit in the Michigan State Capitol

What kind of legislative unemployment reforms is the legislature working on right now?

Senator Stephanie Chang: Senate Democrats have introduced a number of unemployment proposals over the past few years.

We know that we need to permanently extend how many weeks an individual can get unemployment benefits to 26 weeks, not 20 weeks. We need to permanently increase the dollar amount given per week and permanently ensure that all types of workers can file for unemployment— including gig workers, seasonal employees, or other workers who don't normally qualify for unemployment.

There is no reason under the sun not to extend unemployment back to 26 weeks. To quote #BigGretch: let’s get it done. #MISOTS2021
— Abraham Aiyash (@AbrahamAiyash) January 28, 2021

What is the timeline for the unemployment process, and what can I do if I have been waiting a long time for my application to go through?

Senator Stephanie Chang: Typically, for somebody who is filing for unemployment and doesn't have any issues with their claim, their applications are processed within 21 days. However, there are thousands of folks right now who have been waiting a long time for papers or initial payments.

If you are like them and have been waiting for a long time, there are a couple of things you can do.

First, be sure you have read all letters and correspondence in your MiWAM account.
Then, reach out to see if there are any next steps you may need to take, such as providing missing documents or identity verification photos.
I'd also recommend saving the unemployment office's phone number, 866-500-0017, so you do not miss any calls from the office.

We are working hard to get everybody paid right now; the historic volume has certainly slowed down and created some backlogs. But, we expect to get through most of our backlogs in the next couple of weeks.

Representative Aiyash: Please feel free to reach out to your representative's office if you have any questions or need any assistance.

We don't have any authority to necessarily move a case or pull the money and make sure that it gets sent over, but we can make sure that the cases you are submitting are being looked at by the UIA.

COVID Resources: Unemployment and Worker Protections

The Covid pandemic has had devastating impacts on every single worker and every aspect of our economy, particularly women and Black, Brown, and Indigenous workers. Too many are grappling with how to pay for the basic necessities they need to survive and many are being forced to decide between going back to a job that may be unsafe or protecting their health. Fortunately, legislators and partners can implement innovative solutions that will make our workforce and our local economies safer and stronger.

Resources:

Unemployment benefits and preventing wage theft of stimulus checks
- The National Employment Law Project highlights six key priorities for strengthening unemployment systems
- The EARN network hosted a webinar about unemployment solutions
- The National Consumer Law Center lists a number of states who are working to protect stimulus checks from garnishment

Worker Health and Rights
- A Better Balance produced an emergency paid sick leave tracker for States, Cities and Counties
- Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard University in partnership with NELP collected a number of measures that state and local officials can take to protect workers as economies reopen, as well as tools to help encourage the use of communication to keep workers safe
- Workers compensation - Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed into law a bill that provides temporary workers compensation
- Hazard pay - Any employer that provides COVID-19 essential services shall provide hazard pay if it employs at least six individuals. See this bill from Massachusetts .
- The Colorado Legislature passed CO HB 20-1415 (enacted on July 11, 2020) which prohibits employers from discriminating or retaliating against any worker who raises concerns about workplace health and safety practices related to a public health emergency.
- NELP provides an overview of 14 states that have adopted comprehensive worker safety protections
- Many states are fighting back against corporate immunity that lets businesses off the hook if they don’t protect workers. A state level toolkit to push back is here.

Farm & Food Worker Safety
- Appropriate funds for farmers to purchase PPE for farm and food workers. See this bill from New Jersey.
- Ensure that state information related to farm worker safety is communicated in both Spanish and English. Here is what Vermont did and this is the bill being considered in California.
- Through executive action, Governors from California and Michigan have taken action to protect farm workers. An Executive order from California Governor Newsom requiring paid sick leave for workers, while Michigan Governor Gretchen Withmer issued an Executive Order on migrant housing camps during COVID-19.