D
espite the disruption COVID-19 caused to
many Michigan manufacturers, the industry
has managed to step up, push forward and adapt to
the new normal.
For many, the workplace looks and feels
very different than before COVID-19 upended
society and financial markets around the world. Six
months into the global health and economic crisis,
manufacturers continue to mitigate effects of the
virus while expanding operations to pre-COVID-19
levels through evolving protocols and procedures.
“COVID-19 isn’t just a moment in time; it
created workforce disruptions and new realities that
manufacturers will be dealing with for the foreseeable
future,” said John Walsh, MMA President & CEO.
“Communication in and out of the workplace, the
impact of new state and federal regulations, childcare
and health concerns — these issues overshadow
long-term planning and previously developed
growth trajectories.”
Leading manufacturers, large and small, joined with
legal professionals to share how they are managing
the reality of manufacturing in a global pandemic and
the state of Michigan’s manufacturing workforce.
Communication in the
Workplace (and at Home)
With split shifts, remote work and a sizable portion
of the workforce furloughed, effective communication
with employees across facilities and departments is a top
priority. AFC-Holcroft, the Wixom-based manufacturer
of heat treat equipment, has worked to improve the
frequency and effectiveness of employee communication.
“During these mostly fluid times and with a
good majority of office staff working remotely most
of the time, I would say one of the biggest challenges
for manufacturing’s HR professionals is maintaining
employee engagement,” said Rachel Piacentini,
Human Resources Manager for AFC-Holcroft.
“Right now, it is very difficult to bring employees
together for training, meetings or open benefit
enrollment. Companies need solutions that can
inform their employees even from a distance.”
Managing the reality of COVID-19 has become
a marathon, not a sprint, and many companies have
implemented new policies for effective communication.
Aludyne is a manufacturer of global lightweight solutions,
employs more than 4,000 people worldwide and is
based in Southfield. Through collaboration technologies
like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, they’re prioritizing
company-wide and facility-specific efforts to keep
their team in the loop.
By clearly conveying workplace safety protocols and
addressing employee anxieties about the virus, Aludyne
aims to instill confidence in its COVID-19 response.
“It’s all about being flexible where we can be and
staying connected so that we can address anxieties
September 2020 MiMfg Magazine 13
There’s too much we can’t predict right
now. It’s essential to incorporate flexibility
into your response where possible.
— Andrew Hayes, Franklin Fastener
early,” said Jenifer Zbiegien, Aludyne’s Vice President
of Human Resources & Marketing. “There’s a
new reality and we’re all learning as we go. As we
communicate with our team, we’re informing them
about screening and testing protocols, allowing them
to ask questions and just ease a lot of the worry. It’s
also an important way to keep the ‘team’ together if
you’re faced with extended periods of remote work.”
Communication and information-sharing can
also keep your workforce abreast of new policies and
regulations imposed at the state and federal level.
Understanding and Responding to New
Federal Paid Leave Requirements
Passed by Congress at the advent of the health
crisis, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
(FFCRA) imposes new paid family and medical
leave requirements on employers with fewer than
500 employees through the end of the year.
“Far and away the biggest challenges I’m hearing
about are managing leave issues, tracking and
addressing COVID-19 cases involving employees,
and getting people who have been out of work or
working remotely back on site,” said Matt Radler,
an attorney with MMA Premium Associate Member
Honigman LLP. “Employees with childcare
responsibilities can be eligible for protected leave
under the FFCRA and, so long as there are issues
with school closures, part of the workforce is potentially
going to need to be absent — administering and
tracking that kind of broad need for periodic
absences from work is just very different than what
manufacturers have had to deal with before.”
While this new federal law permits employers with
fewer than 50 employees to exempt themselves, the paid
leave provisions are reimbursable through a payroll tax
credit, giving the smallest employers a way to offset the
cost of COVID-related employee absences.
Staying Informed on Unemployment
The traditional parameters of unemployment in
Michigan and across the nation remain suspended
at the direction of state and federal agencies.
Expanded eligibility, extended benefit duration and a
boost in unemployment benefit amounts have all
changed the traditional equation for employers and
for displaced workers.
Governor Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-76
remains in effect for the duration of Michigan’s