Governor amends rules allowing workers with COVID symptoms to stay home

Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday issued an executive order that revises an earlier order allowing employees with symptoms of COVID-19 to stay home from work without facing repercussions.

The earlier executive order allowed employees to stay home if they experienced one or more symptoms from a list of eight symptoms of coronavirus infection.

The new order shortens that list somewhat.

Employees may stay home from work if they have a fever, an uncontrolled cough, or shortness of breath. They may also stay home if they have two or more symptoms from a list of other symptoms:

• loss of taste or smell
• muscle aches
• sore throat
• severe headache
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• abdominal pain

The order forbids any business from retaliating in any way against an employee who stays home while experiencing those symptoms of COVID-19.

You can read the full executive order here.