Labor & Employment (Minimum Wage)

HB 5560 exempts "earned wage access services" (like apps allowing workers to access earned wages before payday) from Michigan's standard wage and fringe benefit laws, as defined in the separate "earned wage access services act." This exemption applies only to services complying with that specific act, removing them from the scope of the existing 1978 wage law (MCL 408.471-408.490). The bill is conditional, requiring the enactment of HB 5558 first before taking effect. It directly affects providers of these early-wage access services, allowing them to operate under different rules than traditional wage payment systems.

This resolution urges Congress to freeze the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for H-2A agricultural workers at the 2023 level ($15.10/hour) through 2025. It directly affects Michigan farmers who rely on the H-2A program, as the current 2025 AEWR in Michigan is $18.15/hour - a 34% increase since 2019. The resolution seeks to prevent further wage hikes for temporary farm workers, aiming to reduce rising labor costs amid broader farm expense increases. It does not change existing law but calls on Congress to pass legislation implementing this freeze.

House Bill 4492 proposes changes to the state's wage act regarding employees who receive gratuities, commonly known as tipped employees. Currently, employees can voluntarily share their tips with co-workers. This bill would allow employers to require tipped employees to share their gratuities with other employees, provided the initial tipped employee's gratuities still meet a specific wage threshold. This change directly affects employees who earn tips and their employers by altering the rules for gratuity distribution within a workplace.