Right to Action: Balancing Employee Rights and Business Compliance
November 12, 2024
GovernmentLabor
Starting February 21, Michigan’s paid sick leave legislation goes into effect, requiring all businesses, including small businesses and restaurants, to provide paid sick leave to…
How Will the New Sick Leave & Tip Credit Laws Impact Michigan’s Service Industry?
November 1, 2024
Labor
Michigan's new paid sick leave and removal of tip credit legislation, set to take effect on February 21, will have a far-reaching impact on the…
On February 21, Michigan’s new paid sick leave legislation will go into effect, impacting workers and businesses across the state. As a result, small businesses…
How Tailored Solutions Can Help Michigan’s Small Businesses Navigate New Paid Sick Leave Laws
October 28, 2024
GovernmentLabor
Effective February 21, 2025, Michigan’s Earned Sick Time Act will replace the Paid Medical Leave Act, following the Michigan Supreme Court's July 2024 ruling. As…
For small businesses, few things matter more than a level playing field and a strong workforce. The West Michigan Policy Forum agrees with Gov. Gretchen…
Right-to-work Taught Us To Stand Up For What We Believe In and Make Our Voices Heard
June 14, 2023
EconomyGovernmentLabor
Michigan’s former Right-to-work law has always been about jobs. And at Southwest Michigan First, we believe the greatest force for change is a job. With…
Broken Promise on Right-to-work Further Erodes People’s Trust in Our Government
March 27, 2023
GovernmentLabor
With confidence in our politicians near an all-time low in the United States, it is essential for all elected officials, both Republican and Democrat, to…
How Right-to-work Helped Tennessee Become a Pro-business State, and How Michigan Can Follow Suit
February 22, 2023
GovernmentLabor
Last November, Tennessee joined eight other states in recognizing worker freedom as a fundamental right by constitutionalizing right-to-work - the law that protects workers from…
More than half of the United States agrees that workers should have the right to choose what’s best for them - with 28 states having…
In Michigan, we’ve had the opportunity to feel and see the prosperity and success being a right-to-work (RTW) state brings. And, we’re not alone in…
You may have seen our recent op-ed in The Detroit News on the benefits of right-to-work. And you may have heard our conversation with Michael…
A Tale of Two Economies: Possibilities of Michigan’s Right-to-work
December 15, 2022
GovernmentLabor
As Michigan’s Right-to-work (RTW) law celebrates 10 years as a statute, it also faces the possibility of repeal from the incoming Democratic majority. In this…
Small Business in Michigan Continues to Take Punches with Judicial Overturn of Changes Made to Paid Sick Leave and Minimum Wage
December 14, 2022
GovernmentLabor
In 2018, at the urging of the National Federation of Independent Business in Michigan (NFIB) and the business community, the Michigan legislature adopted the minimum…
Protecting Right-to-work Laws: The Window of Freedom for Michigan Workers
December 9, 2022
GovernmentLabor
10 years ago we came together to protect the interest of all Michigan workers, unions, and our state’s economy by advocating to make Michigan a…
Caught between record-low unemployment and record-high inflation, it’s no secret that entrepreneurs are facing unprecedented challenges. It’s rare to enter a retail store or restaurant…
The hospitality industry is filled with incredible servers, who, for the most part, intentionally chose this business because of the perks of tipping. In an…
Do you know what one of the key elements to a thriving economy is? It’s often overlooked and underestimated, but it’s the foundation for a…
The West Michigan Policy Forum recently kicked off bi-monthly legislative chats to provide an intimate opportunity to have our members listen to, glean from, and…
Michigan and the rest of our nation have been facing a grave labor drought that’s impairing our economy and causing many businesses, large and small,…
Two years ago at the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan’s unemployment rate hit a high not seen since the great depression - 22.7% of…
Michigan is facing a housing shortage - and the cost of homes has skyrocketed over the past year, leaving many unable to afford housing. This…
Michigan’s success in recent years can be traced back to important improvements in the way business and residents live, work and play in our state.…