GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Microchips in the workplace could be commonplace in the not-so-distant future, Michigan state lawmakers are now working to protect employees before businesses implement the process as a mandatory part of employment.
House Bill 5672 was drafted to protect citizens from science fiction, says State Representative, Bronna Kahle, representing Michigan’s 57TH district. Kahle says Michiganders could lose big freedoms if the bill doesn’t pass.
“It's a very simple, basic and straightforward bill that prohibits employers from forcing an employee to be chipped (or 'microchipped' as it as it would be called) as a condition of employment,” Rep. Kahle said.
RFID chips are nothing new. We microchip our pets to identify them if they’re lost or stolen. Representative Kahle says as people become the test subjects, passing legislation to protect them from forced or mandatory chipping as a condition of employment is imperative.
“There are no laws in Michigan to protect workers from being forced to take a chip,” said Rep. Kahle. “It’s also not expressly covered in our constitution. So this is a really important measure to proactively prohibit such a practice from happening to workers in our state.”
The conversation is heating up in Europe and across the U.S. as technology continues to evolve. ‘Chipping parties’ have been witnessed in the media as companies encourage employees to use microchips to open doors, store worker information, even buy snacks from company vending machines.
Representative Kahle says Michigan Bill 5672 follows similar legislation recently adopted as law in Indiana protecting worker's rights when it comes to microchipping. Other states working on similar protections include Iowa and New Jersey. Bill 5672 has bipartisan support and currently sits in Senate Committee.
