Bill > HB6420

This bill amends the Michigan Employment Security Act—the state law governing unemployment benefits administered by the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA)—to expand the reasons employers can use to request an extension of temporary job search waivers for laid-off workers. Under current law, when an employer temporarily lays off workers and expects to recall them within 45 days, the UIA can waive standard job search and availability requirements, with the option to extend this waiver by up to 90 additional days (for a total of 135 days) for specific reasons like equipment retooling, parts shortages, or temporary production adjustments. This bill adds adverse weather conditions—such as extreme cold, prolonged freezing temperatures, or severe weather events that compromise safety or disrupt business operations—to the list of approved justifications allowing employers to secure these extended temporary layoff waivers for their workers.