LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Michigan Department of Attorney General has announced that a request by craft retailer JoAnn Fabrics to stay open as an essential business has been denied.
Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office sent a letter to JoAnn Fabrics Monday, saying that the in-store operations should be temporarily suspended while Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “stay home, stay safe” order remains in place.
“I can appreciate the desire of businesses that want to remain open and provide their customers with the same products and services they have come to expect from these retailers, but there must be common sense protections in place during this global health emergency,” Nessel said. “Employees should be permitted to work from home whenever possible and businesses that are not necessary to sustaining or protecting life should comply with the order by temporarily suspending in-person operations. Reducing person-to-person contact can help slow the spread of COVID-19, and we all need to do our part.”
The business argued that its services were essential, as many fabrics are being purchased from their stores for the purpose of making hospital face masks.
However, since the company already sells these same goods through online sales and by shipping from its stores or distribution centers, keeping the stores themselves open to the public is both unnecessary and in violation of the order.
Nessel says that since the letter was sent, JoAnn Fabrics appears to have modified their business operations in order to comply.
“I’d like to thank JoAnn Fabrics for its quick response to our letter and for putting the health and safety of Michigan’s residents first in making this decision,” Nessel added.
Since there is still some question on what restrictions are in place under Whitmer’s order, Nessel’s office is actively working to make more information and resources available.
For starters, a new section has been added to the department website, Know Your Employment Rights, to provide Michigan residents with more information on the legal rights of employees and employers under the executive order.
Further information for employers can be found on the Guidance for Business page on the state’s website devoted to COVID-19.
The state’s COVID-19 website also has information on the Governor’s other executive orders, directives and FAQs which allows for review of each order and its own questions and answers.
Anyone seeking interpretation of an executive order should first review those orders and the FAQs posted online. If an answer is not found, requests for an interpretation of an executive order can be emailed to the Michigan Department of Attorney General. Frequently monitoring the FAQs is recommended as they are updated often.
The latest COVID-19 information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
