HR Hot Topics – June, 2021: MIOSHA Emergency Rule Changes

Welcome to the June edition of HR Hot Topics.  In this month’s episode I unpack the latest round of MIOSHA emergency rules and discuss how they impact you and your business.  We are no stranger to changes in safety rules as a result of COVID-19, but this most recent change lifting mask restrictions (among other things) caught many of us by surprise.  Slow and cautious seemed to be the state motto and yet in the course of a few weeks, the rules took an abrupt turn – leaving many employers left holding the bag.  Should you allow the removal of masks in your workplace for fully vaccinated employees?  What do your employees want/expect?  What about your patients/customers?

Aside from the loosening of mask requirements, the new MIOSHA rules also allow for in-person work, no longer require physical barriers when social distancing can’t be achieved, no longer prohibit employees from sharing phones/desks/offices/tools or equipment, relax some of the cleaning and disinfecting protocols, and change some of the components of your COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan.