Jobs considered essential during Michigan's stay-home order
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MARCH 14: Aerial view of Comerica Park from a drone on March 14, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Thirteen days after the first cases of coronavirus Covid-19 were confirmed in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed an order that directs all non-critical businesses to temporarily close, and for all Michiganders to stay home or at least six feet away from others if they must leave the house during the outbreak.
RELATED: What you can do and can't do under Michigan's stay-at-home order
The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, March 24 and will be in effect for at least the next three weeks.
But it begs the question, what jobs are considered essential? According to the state of Michigan, these are the jobs/business that must continue to operate:
- Health care and public health workers
- Law enforcement, public safety and first responders
- Food and agriculture
- Energy
- Water and wastewater
- Transportation and logistics
- Public works
- Trash pick-up and disposal
- Communications and information technology, including news media
- Critical manufacturing
- Hazardous materials
- Financial services
- Chemical supply chains and safety
- Defense industrial base
However, there are even more to add to the list, as the state has several other jobs are considered critical to the infrastructure. These jobs may be scaled down by their business or operations to only those who are deemed necessary:
- Child care workers, but only to the extent necessary to serve the children or dependents of other critical infrastructure workers
- Workers at designated suppliers and distribution centers
- Workers in the insurance industry, but only to the extent that their work can’t be done via phone or remotely
- Workers and volunteers that provide food, shelter and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or for people with disabilities
- Workers who perform critical labor union functions
In these situations, businesses and operations must determine which of their workers are necessary to conduct minimum basic operations and inform such workers of that designation. Businesses and operations must make such designations in writing, whether by electronic message, public website, or other appropriate means. Such designations, however, may be made orally until March 31, 2020 at 11:59 pm.
If you still aren’t sure if this order applies to your job or not, contact your supervisor or wait to hear from them for further instruction.