The state House has approved an overhaul of Michigan’s worker-compensation system. That system is supposed to pay benefits to people injured on the job.
Business groups and Republicans say an overhaul of the system is needed to reduce insurance rates paid by employers, and get people back to work more quickly – even if it’s a job that pays less.
They say a leaner and less-expensive system is still needed to make the state more employer-friendly.
Representative Bradford Jacobsen (R-Oxford) sponsored the bill.
“We’re not talking about someone driving 50 miles looking for a lawn-mowing job. But we do ask, if you’re on work comp that if you’re able to go back even in a marginal job to get back on some earning capacity to go ahead and do it,” said Jacobsen.
State Representative Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills) opposed the overhaul.
She says it will reduce benefits for injured workers and force some of them to take lower-paying jobs before they are fully healed:
“What we do here matters to people and to families every day. This particular bill will be hurting families, workers, and the very people we came here to protect,” said Barnett.
Democrats also say the changes are not needed because Michigan’s unemployment coverage rates have gone down in 12 of the past 16 years.
They say the changes could become harder for employees to file claims or receive benefits they deserve.
