State officials had earlier announced plans for remote work extension till October 2021. This tenure and the rules weren’t fixed and were dependent on the status of vaccinations and new cases.
However, Governor Whitmer made this announcement today.
“We are working with the business community, we are working with labor, we working with public health experts to promulgate what that back to work cadence looks like.”Governor Whitmer
According to Whitmer, because of the increase in positive cases, the state has no other choice to extend in-office restrictions for another six months. This means that this remote extension will allow Michingan’s workforce to continue working from home.
As per the current guidelines, people can work remotely if their job doesn’t necessitate physical presence in an office or at the work site.
Remote Work Extension in Michigan: 2020
Previously, the restrictions by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) were in effect from October 2020 and were to end on April 14 2021. However, with this new announcement, this is now extended up to October 2021.
Certain business groups were against the decision when it was imposed in October 2020 as they strongly felt that these kind of restrictions only hurt the economy.
It is the need of the hour that needs to be taken into consideration along with a vision for the future. With a rise in COVID positive cases, there aren’t many options. From what we can see from what’s happening across the globe, remote work is the way forward because of the many benefits that come with it.
It’s not just Michigan, but a lot of other regions too will see a remote work extension coming in. Governor Whitmer’s decision for the six month extension is not just practical for the now but is also a step forward towards the evolving dynamics of the new remote work model.
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