State Rep. Matthew Bierlein recently voted for a plan establishing commonsense paid sick leave policies to protect Michigan workers and local job providers.

House Bill 4002 guarantees all workers have access to sick time while clarifying the rigid, complex rules that were originally set to take effect through a previous Michigan Supreme Court ruling. Bierlein’s vote comes on the heels of another bipartisan agreement he voted for preserving the tip credit – a crucial source of income for many workers, including in the service industry, that allows them to make even more than they would through a higher minimum wage. As part of the agreement, Senate Bill 8 maintains the tip credit at 38% through 2025 while implementing annual increases, eventually capping at 50% of the minimum wage in 2031.

After passage in both the House and Senate, HB 4002 and SB 8 became law with the governor’s signature on Friday. Bierlein and House Republicans have prioritized these issues since the start of the 2025-26 legislative term after listening to countless workers and small business owners who expressed concern about their livelihoods. 

The first bills that were introduced in the House this term addressed the Court’s short-sighted decision, moved to keep the tip credit and made practical changes to the one-size-fits-all mandates for paid sick leave. Bierlein helped advance the legislation to the House floor through his role on the House Select Committee on Protecting Michigan Employees and Small Businesses, with both plans eventually being incorporated into what ultimately was sent to the governor.

“This is what leadership looks like,” said Bierlein, of Vassar. “House Republicans listened to people’s concerns, worked across the aisle, and took decisive action to protect Michigan jobs and small businesses. I remain committed to standing up for Michigan’s workers and job providers while ensuring our economy stays strong and our state remains a great place to live and work.

“This agreement came down to the wire, and there was a great deal of delay in the previous term. But we stayed focused on delivering solutions for workers and our local businesses. These bills were unequivocally better than what we would have seen had the Court’s ruling become effective.”

The Court’s decision created a one-size-fits-all mandate for paid sick leave. Bierlein and House Republicans have worked for compromise that respects the fact that larger businesses operate differently and have more resources than those with just a few employees – and that job providers should be able to choose leave policies that work best for them and their workers. The new laws also rein in “no-call, no-show” leave that would routinely leave small businesses, local emergency services, schools and other employers understaffed and overwhelmed.