As Michigan businesses begin to reopen, employers are urged to utilize the State’s Work Share program which helps employers experiencing economic pain due to COVID-19 retain their workforce and bring back employees from lay-off as they restart their businesses.

“As we begin the safe reengagement of our economy, our job providers can use Work Share to save money and help more people return to work faster,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “The program can give business owners the resources needed to retain or bring back employees as their customer and business capacity ramps back up. As we continue to phase in sectors of our economy, we must continue to do our part on behalf of the heroes on the front lines of this crisis, including our medical workers, first responders, and other essential workers who are putting their lives on the lines for us every day. We will get through this together.”

Work Share allows employers to bring employees back from unemployment with reduced hours while employees collect partial unemployment benefits to make up for the lost wages. Job providers can also utilize the flexible program to retain their skilled workforce and avoid layoffs when revenues decline.

Under the program, a worker receives a reduced salary from an employer, but is given a percent of their state benefits plus the additional $600 federal payment in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) through CARES Act through July 2020. The entire Work Share program is federally funded through the rest of the year.

The governor’s recent Executive Order offers employers greater flexibility as they restart their business and bring employees back from unemployment by allowing most employers to qualify for the program. Employers who need to reduce hours and wages by 10 percent to 60 percent can enroll employees in the program.

“Work Share offers employers solutions to fit their specific business needs by allowing multiple plans with different reduction levels and the ability to choose how many of their workers will participate,” Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director Jeff Donofrio said. “The program is great for workers too. For the next two months, the federal government provides an extra $600 to employees on workshare providing wage replacement and incentives to return to work from unemployment. The federally funded program also helps workers by preserving the State’s Unemployment Trust Fund to keep their safety net solvent.”

Work Share serves as a great incentive for employees to return to work. While employees bring their worker back at a reduced rate, the employees could earn more than if they stay on unemployment.

The program offers many options for employers, allowing multiple plans and the option to choose which employees participate in each plan. Employers can create a plan or plans that fit their specific needs with hours reduced by as little as 10 percent and as much as 60 percent. There is only a minimum of two employees per plan, plans can be approved for up to a year and can be ended at any time without penalty. Nearly 700 Michigan employers are already participating in more than 1,700 Work Share plans.

“Small businesses across Michigan have found the Work Share program to be a tremendous tool to help them restart their business at a reduced capacity,” said Small Business Association President Brian Calley. “Employers navigating operational issues with the reopening of the economy are urged to explore and understand the flexible options available.”

How it Works

A worker’s weekly wages are $1,000, yet the employer needs to reduce their salary/hours by 30 percent. Under Work Share, their weekly salary would be $700 ($1,000 – 30 percent = $700). Plus 30 percent of their state unemployment benefits ($362 maximum x .30 = $108), plus the additional $600 federal PUA payment July 2020. With Work Share, the employee would earn $1,408/week through July 2020 vs. $962 without the program.

Employers can visit Michigan.gov/WorkShare for a tutorial on how to sign up, FAQs and other resources to participate in the program,

Business Testimonials on Work Share

Dave Dittenber, CEO
DRI Restaurants, Midland

The Work Share program is an excellent way to retain your employees in an economical way. The program has allowed us as business owners the flexibility to bring our employees back to work in a way that fit our needs. 

As restaurants start the process to reopen and understand what the new normal looks like for our customers and employees, this program can help us scale our staff to meet those needs. Not only will it allow us to reopen as dine-in restaurants when it’s safe to do so, it will also give us the opportunity to offer takeout and delivery and provide meals to many of our patrons during these difficult times. We have been able to utilize our most talented employees with reduced hours and compensate them properly for their work.  By not having to train new employees we have been able to meet the needs of our customers providing quality food and service, in a different way. The Work Share program has also created excitement for our employees to come back to work and be trained with our new safety measures and guidelines.

Jeffrey Douma, Director Human Resources
MAG Automotive, Sterling Heights

This year, COVID-19 forced all of our customers and suppliers to delay all business deliveries and timelines. Mass layoffs of our workforce would imperil our existence.  Cutting all of our employee’s hours and turning to Work Share became our only option for these times.

Working with the Work Share Team and implementing a planned “return-to-work” approach, we were able to maintain all benefits for our employees and reduce work hours of 60% of our employees. We implemented Work Share Groups at all levels. MAG saved payroll costs and allowed us to efficiently manage our future work. Most importantly, this Work Share approach provided assurance to all our employees that MAG would come out of these times unified, prepared, and safely.

As challenging as these times have been and with the work overload thrown at the Work Share Team, MAG has received high support from its team members. Work Share has truly been a remarkable gem.

Information around the COVID-19 outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

Contact: Kathleen Achtenberg achtenbergk@michigan.org

PlanetM, the State of Michigan’s mobility initiative, is awarding a round of its technology activation grant program to companies addressing the challenges presented by the spread of the novel Coronavirus.

Five companies – GHSP, Gatik, Penske Vehicle Services, RCO Engineering and Pratt Miller – received more than $280,000 in funding to aid in the development and deployment of solutions that address the mobility challenges COVID-19 presents in Michigan. This includes contactless automated delivery within the statewide retail supply chain, disinfecting technologies in West Michigan and barriers to protect transit workers in Detroit. The funding will also enable companies to reenact jobs impacted by the pandemic as well as create new jobs through production of these solutions and expansion into the state.

“The resiliency and innovation that these companies are displaying in the face of this global pandemic will make a significant difference as our industry comes together to fight this virus,” said Charlie Tyson, technology activation manager at PlanetM. “We look forward to demonstrating the power of Michigan’s public private partnerships in supporting the state’s need for safe mobility solutions during this unprecedented public health crisis.”

Meet the COVID-19 Mobility Solutions Grant Recipients:

GHSP ($80,000)

GHSP has developed a first-of-its-kind mobile UV-C treatment, grēnlite™. Using high-and-low dose UV-C light, the system is able to sense when there are occupants in a shared vehicle space and will disinfect the air and high-touch surfaces following their exit, reducing COVID-19 and other disease-causing germs for those on the front lines.

As part of the pilot program, the technology will first be integrated into May Mobility’s autonomous shuttle fleet as part of the Grand Rapids Autonomous Vehicle Initiative, made possible through a connection by startup accelerator, Seamless. The pilot program will serve as a launching pad for additional projects throughout the state and beyond, including plans to integrate into EMS applications and police vehicles statewide in partnership with Life EMS and SoundOff Signal.

The real-time data being gathered is continually analyzed and used to make adjustments in system operation and improve overall effectiveness. The program is setting the stage for this technology to become commonplace in all mobile spaces where germs and pathogens can affect our health and wellbeing.

“With the challenges our world is currently facing with the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re very pleased that we’re able to bring this technology to the market at this time,” said Tom Rizzi, CEO of GHSP. “Helping improve the safety of the emergency service and public safety providers that expose themselves every day to help others was a big driver in getting this product developed and this technology will also create new engineering and manufacturing jobs in our Michigan economy.”

Gatik ($100,000)

Gatik, a Palo Alto-based autonomous delivery company, is working with one of the state’s largest retailers to automate their on-road transportation network. The pilot involves deploying autonomous delivery vehicles on predetermined, fixed routes throughout Grand Rapids and Rochester, Mich. This partnership will help reduce human-to-human transmission channels of COVID-19 via contactless delivery, minimize personnel-based disruptions to the supply chain and transform the way groceries, health products and other everyday goods are sustainably delivered.

California-based Gatik also plans to create new jobs for Michiganders as well as obtain a facility in the state through this pilot grant.

“We founded Gatik with one mission: to move goods safely and efficiently using autonomous vehicles,” said Gautam Narang, co-founder and CEO of Gatik. “With COVID-19, this mission has never been more important. We’re delighted to expand our operations to a state with such a proud automotive heritage and help support the pandemic response here in Michigan.”

Penske Vehicle Services ($28,000)

A current mobility challenge facing the city of Detroit is transporting passengers while protecting transit workers against COVID-19. Working with the city and its transportation vendor, Penske Vehicle Services (PVS) has started production on temporary vehicle occupant safety partitions, which are portable, clear vinyl barriers designed to increase physical separation between front seat drivers and back seat occupants of passenger vehicles.

With this grant, Penske Vehicle Services is producing vehicle occupant safety partitions and has secured a small contract with a leading ride-sharing service. These barriers do not seal off the front and back seats entirely, but are designed to provide an additional comfort buffer between drivers and passengers for increased safety precautions.

“We are very pleased to receive the support of PlanetM and MEDC. This grant represents a win-win for the community and for our company,” said Jill Lajdziak, president and CEO of Penske Vehicle Services. “This is a safe, efficient and scalable solution to further promote the health and safety of both the driver and passengers. It will help protect vulnerable members of the community, who rely on car transportation to shuttle back and forth between COVID-19 testing sites and for other related needs.”

RCO Engineering ($28,000)

RCO Engineering will also develop and pilot partitions to help offer some additional level of comfort for the drivers tasked with transporting residents to and from their destinations. The partition will not be designed to permanently alter the vehicles in any way. The city of Detroit will provide vehicles to be outfitted with RCO’s partition solution.

“RCO is honored to receive this grant opportunity and use our ingenuity to partner with MEDC, PlanetM, the city of Detroit, and to help flatten the curve and manage the spread of COVID-19,” said Jeff Simek, general manager at RCO Engineering.

Pratt Miller ($50,000)

Next month, Pratt Miller Mobility’s Large area autonomous Disinfecting robotic vehicle (LaaD) will be roaming Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Mich., in an effort to combat the Covid-19 virus. LaaD, the first-of-its-kind in deployed in the U.S., is a connected, electric and autonomous disinfecting robot that will dispense FDA-approved disinfecting materials through a multi-head electrostatic sprayer array. The electrostatic technology sprays disinfectant into the air and adheres to surfaces for maximum virus protection, while the autonomous platform monitors and guarantees coverage through the use of sensors and data analysis.

“It is an absolute honor to join forces with the State of Michigan in the battle against COVID-19. Being able to quickly integrate our Flexible Robotic Platform (FRP) with state-of-the-art spraying equipment and 35 gallons of disinfecting solution, is exactly why our family of Robotic Platforms exist,” said Simon Dean, vice president of mobility and innovation at Pratt Miller. “Our ultimate goal is that our robot, LaaD, combined with the forward-thinking mindsets of the teams at PlanetM and the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, will rebuild Michiganders’ confidence in the transportation and travel industries.”

“We are pleased to serve as a test location for the use of LaaD with FDA-approved disinfection products,” said Tory Richardson, CEO of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. “This new technology has the potential to enhance our already-robust sanitation efforts, enabling us to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness in high-traffic areas. This innovative technology from Pratt Miller has the potential to be another critical tool in our efforts to combat the coronavirus.”

“We have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to leverage our robust mobility ecosystem and manufacturing heritage to spur innovative solutions to the challenges presented by the spread of this virus,” said Kathryn Snorrason, strategic accounts director at PlanetM. “We’re proud to do our part and support Michigan communities during a time like this.”

About the PlanetM Mobility Grants

The PlanetM Mobility Grants, separated into two categories – testing and pilots – encourage mobility startups and corporations to deploy their technologies in Michigan, or prove out their technology at one of the state’s world-class testing facilities including Mcity at the University of Michigan (UM), American Center for Mobility (ACM), GM Mobility Research Center (GMMRC) at Kettering University (KU), Michigan Unmanned Aerial Systems Consortium (MUASC) and Keweenaw Research Center (KRC) at Michigan Technological University (MTU). PlanetM partners with NextEnergy to support project management services for each pilot program. The PlanetM Mobility Grant program has awarded more than $2 million in grant funding since its inception in 2018.

In light of the global pandemic, PlanetM transitioned the PlanetM pilot grant funds to the COVID-19 mobility solutions grant, which provides funding to mobility solutions that address the crucial challenges presented by the spread of COVID-19 within the state of Michigan. For more information regarding PlanetM’s Mobility Grant program, visit planetm.com/grants.

To learn more about MEDC’s COVID-19 response programs and the impact they are having on economic recovery efforts, visit michiganbusiness.org/covid19response. Other resources for businesses across Michigan struggling with economic losses as a result of the COVID-19 virus can be found online at michiganbusiness.org/covid19.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation/PlanetM

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. To learn more about Michigan’s leadership in the revolution in transportation, visit PlanetM.com. Michigan has a unique and vast ecosystem that is leading the way in transforming the way people and goods are transported across all modes of transportation.  Join the conversation on: LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

LANSING, Mich. – Approximately 350,000 Michigan families will continue to have access to additional food assistance benefits in the month of May in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced today.

The additional food assistance was initially approved for March and April – and now that is being extended for May.

“No Michigander should worry about how to put food on the table for themselves and their family, especially during a pandemic,” Gov. Whitmer said. “This is a crisis unlike anything we’ve seen before, and we must work together to do everything we can to support working families during this time. I will continue working around the clock to ensure Michigan families can access the food they need as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In April nearly 1.5 million people in Michigan received federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through the state’s Food Assistance Program.

Households eligible for Food Assistance Program benefits will receive additional benefits in May to bring all current SNAP cases to the maximum monthly allowance for that group size. The 350,000 households that receive increased benefits represent about 50 percent of the Michigan households that received food assistance in April. The remaining households already receive the maximum benefit.

Eligible clients will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card this week and by May 31. Below is the maximum allowable benefit for SNAP customers based on their household size:

• One Person: $194
• Two Persons: $355
• Three Persons: $509
• Four Persons: $646
• Five Persons: $768
• Six Persons: $921
• Seven Persons: $1,018
• Eight Persons: $1,164

“I am glad that MDHHS has been able to expand access to food assistance and make additional benefits available to families during this crisis,” said MDHHS Director Robert Gordon. “Our staff will continue to do what they can to help Michiganders make it through difficult times unlike any we have seen in our lifetimes.”

The federal government is providing additional funding to states for food assistance under House Resolution 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Eligible families do not need to re-apply to receive the additional benefits. People who receive food assistance can check their benefits balance on their Michigan Bridge Card at www.michigan.gov/mibridges or calling a consumer service representative toll-free at 888-678-8914. They can ask questions about the additional benefits by calling or emailing their caseworker.

Customer service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Spanish and Arabic service is available. If you are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing or speech-impaired, call the Michigan Relay Center at 7-1-1.

Information around the COVID-19 outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.