Robert Dubault, executive partner at Warner Norcross + Judd who specializes in labor and employment law, was interviewed in MiBiz article, “Court ruling could upend business model for some restaurants and bars.”
The Michigan Court of Claims’ voided the 2018 amendments to the Earned Sick Time Act and Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act. The acts require all Michigan employers to provide up to 72 hours of sick leave and increase the minimum wage in Michigan, which is now 80 percent of the minimum wage and will gradually increase to the full minimum wage in 2024.
Dubault calls the ruling a “game changer” that will force employers to re-examine their paid sick leave policies and – particularly for restaurants and bars – how they compensate workers.
“Primarily for restaurants who do have tipped employees, they’re going to have to take a hard look at their business model and ask: ‘Will we go to a minimum wage and no tip policy?’ I’m pretty confident that many of them are paying less than (minimum wage) and are just making up the difference in tips,” Dubault said.
MiBiz subscribers can read the full article here.
Dubault is a labor and employment attorney who counsels and represents public and private sector employers in a wide variety of labor and employment matters, such as hiring, discipline, termination, leaves of absence, employment discrimination, workplace harassment, ADA/FMLA, wage and hour compliance, collective bargaining, labor arbitration, NLRB and MERC proceedings and most recently, COVID-19-related matters. He is the executive partner for Warner’s Muskegon office. Learn more about his practice here.
About Warner
By providing discerning and proactive legal advice, Warner Norcross + Judd LLP builds a better partnership with our clients. One of Michigan’s largest law firms, we’re focused on providing the best legal solutions and exceptional client service to organizations throughout the world. Connect with us on wnj.com, LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.
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