Migrant seasonal farm workers in Wisconsin have additional health and safety protections, including heat protections, under revised administrative rules that took effect Feb. 1, according to the state Department of Workforce Development (DWD). The updates create requirements for disease and illness prevention in migrant labor camps should a public health emergency arise.
The changes are the first significant updates to state migrant labor rules in Chapter DWD 301 since 2007. The rules govern the DWD-administered Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker (MSFW) program. An analysis and text of the rule changes are available online.
Key updates reflect knowledge gained when DWD promulgated emergency rules during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically the need for updated rules to address potential future public health emergencies. These new rules require certain diseases and symptoms to be reported to local health officials and for sick workers to be isolated. In addition, the rule provides heat and safety protections for workers.
