LANSING, MI (WTVB) – Michigan employers would be legally prohibited from requiring workers to check or respond to work-related communications, such as emails, texts, and messages, outside of their regular scheduled hours under a proposed state “right to disconnect” bill.
Known as the Workplace Employee Boundaries Act (Senate Bill 948) the legislation aims to protect employee well-being by establishing firmer boundaries between personal time and the modern “always on” work culture.
The measure would also penalize companies up to $500 per violation and strictly forbid workplace retaliation against employees who choose to ignore after-hours communications.
While the proposal has drawn significant support from labor advocates, it is facing pushback from business groups and industry leaders who argue the mandate could disrupt operations.
Representatives from organizations like the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) warn that the restrictions could prove particularly burdensome for small business owners and those managing employees across multiple time zones.
The bill, which is currently being debated in the Senate Labor Committee, includes several key exceptions, allowing employers to contact off-duty staff during government-declared emergencies or to reach out to compensated, officially on-call employees.
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