Michigan’s workers’ compensation laws are under review in Lansing.
Some business groups told the House Commerce Committee that changes are needed in the workers’ compensation program because of medical advances.
They used examples of shorter recovery times for knee and hip replacements.
Democratic State Rep. Vicki Barnett says there could also be a requirement for some people to take other work while they’re healing.
“So it puts our workers, who are injured, in a very compromised position where they’re too injured to work at their job, but they’re assumed to be able to go out and do another job that may or may not in reality exist, but hypothetically exists,” Barnett says.
Barnett says the pay could be deducted from their workers’ comp whether or not they actually got the job.
She also says claims that businesses are leaving Michigan because of high workers’ compensation costs are not true.
Barnet says Michigan’s compensation costs are right in the middle compared to other states.
