State Representative Nancy Jenkins-Arno, R-Rollin Township, voted to support tipped workers and save small businesses from harmful mandates that are set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday. The negotiated plan to protect small businesses from the sick time requirements while still giving workers access to leave time when needed passed the House this evening.

            “This agreement is not the ideal outcome we wanted, but it is a plan that we can agree on to protect our small businesses and tipped employees,” said Jenkins-Arno, R-Rollin Township. “We heard from many people around the state who wanted to preserve the tipped wage. I’m so glad we were able to reach a deal with the Senate and to get it done.”

            HB 4002 allows workers to have access to sick leave time while changing the strict rules that were originally set to take effect on Friday. This legislation allows a business of any size to create a sick leave time plan that best suits their businesses. It gives them the ability to create unique policies concerning “no call, no show” cases, and also protects businesses from unreasonable lawsuits and attacks.

            “Small business owners work extremely hard to manage their businesses and make sure that everything is functioning properly,” said Jenkins-Arno. “Lenawee County business owners have told me that they are frustrated that these nonsense policies could make it very difficult for them to operate. It is my hope that this new plan will guarantee businesses are able to adapt properly to help them to continue to succeed.”

Senate Bill 8, which passed on Wednesday, is the plan to protect tipped workers. It keeps the tip credit at 38% through 2025 with annual increases of 2%, eventually capping at 50% of the minimum wage in 2031. The plan also increases penalties for those employers who do not compensate their employees fairly.