House committee hears bill to disqualify jobless claimants who 'ghost' employers

LANSING — The House Committee on Economic Competitiveness on April 17 heard testimony on House Bill 4516, a proposal from Rep. Jason Wolford to amend the Michigan Employment Security Act to create a mechanism for employers to report applicants who “ghost” interviews or fail to show up for early days of work and to create a rebuttable presumption of ineligibility for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits in such cases.

Supporters told the committee that Michigan’s UI system is 100% employer‑funded and that employers are frustrated because current enforcement tools do not let them report or prompt investigations into no‑shows. Representative Jason Wolford, the bill sponsor, said, “This is 100% employer funded system that should be focused on helping people get back to employment.” He told members the bill would make clear “that if a person ghost an employer, they will be disqualified from receiving UI benefits and allows the employer to report ghosting so that you and UIA can investigate the situation if necessary.”

Committee members heard organized testimony both for and against the bill. David Worthams, director of employment policy for the Michigan Manufacturers Association, told the panel employers have repeatedly reported scheduled interviews and job starts that applicants do not honor and urged the committee to close what he described as a reporting gap in the current system. Kelly Saunders of the Small Business Association of Michigan and Amanda Fisher of the National Federation of Independent Business…