Over 180 bills were signed into law in 2024 that will go into effect at various times throughout 2025.
The minimum wage is set to increase twice this year, once in January and once in February.
The minimum wage will go all the way up to $12.48. Local businesses are well above that mark, but the raise will be something to watch.
Cherry Republic Human Resources Director Nicole Agruda says the local eatery is well above the current minimum wage and has been ready for the change to come.
“This year’s raise is not going to have an effect in 2025,” Agruda said. “We will certainly continue to keep watching the number.”
The state will begin phasing out the tipped minimum wage, and all workers can earn paid time off through new wage laws. The current minimum wage for tipped workers is $6, which will rise to $14.97 by 2028.
The law will affect tips, but it will be interesting to see if it goes down or up.
“At least for this past year, and we haven’t made any adjustments at this point going into spring, but we’re looking at adjustments, but our current entrylevel for a server or a tip job is $6 an hour,” Arguda said.
Employees earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 72 hours per year. Employers with fewer than 10 employees can limit accrual to 40 hours and must provide 32 hours of unpaid leave.
Michigan’s Supreme Court ordered the minimum wage increase in August, with justices arguing that Michigan lawmakers violated voter rights by adopting and quickly amending a 2018 ballot initiative. The half-decade legal battle over what happened to a potential 2018 ballot measure was capped by the 4-3 decision from the Republican-led legislature.
State and nationwide labor groups have praised the ruling, but restaurant industry experts warn of a catastrophic storm on the horizon.
There are a lot of unknowns on how this will affect Leelanau restaurants’ already inflated menus prices.
For local wineries and cideries, the change comes without much fear, because it’s already super competitive, according to Boathouse owner David Alberts.
“My challenge is to continually improve the quality of my wines in an environment of continually rising cost pressure,” he said.
Max Koskela of Two K Farms in Bingham Township says the wage increases will have little effect, broadly speaking.
“I think it already has when restaurants are adding 3% or more on checks as they say to offset the cost of inflation. So, as a consumer, I think you would take those dollars away from the tip,” he said.
Here are a few other laws that will take effect this year:
• Unemployment will get its first raise in over 20 years from $252 to $614 per week. Unemployment benefits are extended from 20 to 26 weeks.
• MDOT will soon be allowed to place automated cameras in work zones for safety reasons. The state must notify drivers of the cameras with a sign placed at least one mile before the start of the work zone.
• School vehicles will be adding bus stop-arm cameras to provide civil sanctions and violations.
