Last Updated: Friday, April 2, 1:00 PM

Contents

News Updates


COVID-19 Information

Recent Government Activity

  • The California State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health is ordering all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence as of March 19, 2020 7:49pm until further notice. Click Here to Read More
  • Senators Scott Wiener and Lena Gonzalez announced they would be co-authoring a measure also focused on protecting small businesses in this uncertain time. Their proposal would prohibit commercial evictions of small businesses based on non-payment of rent.
  • Senator Wiener has also joined with Assemblymember Phil Ting in calling on the Legislature to pass temporary statewide eviction and foreclosure bans. The Los Angeles Times notes Assemblymember Ting plans to introduce legislation this week as an urgency measure that would need the support of two-thirds in both houses. It has also been widely reported that many cities and counties have already enacted measures implementing a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during this crisis.
  • Franchise Tax Board leaders on Friday announced they would grant an extension to file 2019 California tax returns and make tax payments until June 15, in accordance with Governor Gavin Newsom’s March 12 executive order.
  • State Treasurer Fiona Ma stated last week she will be working with the Governor and the Legislature on actions to suspend the $800 LLC tax and the LLC fee for the prepayment of the 2020 calendar tax filing year, and to extend the state sales tax filing deadlines without interest, penalties, or fines on late payments.

Info for Business Owners

Info for Employers

HR & Compliance Resources

  • ThinkHR COVID-19 Resources
    (VMA Member LOGIN REQUIRED – Contact jessica@vma.bz) Comprehensive list of COVID-19 HR-related employer resources ranging from CDC and OSHA materials to ThinkHR templates including employee communications and agreements for telecommuting.
  • California Agencies Release Guidance on COVID-19
    State and local administrative agencies have released guidance to employers regarding wage and hour issues, paid sick leave, disability and unemployment insurance for situations involving the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
  • Employee Letter Template Allowing Essential Business Work
    This letter template, courtesy of our southern neighbor, PIASC attempts to provide evidence for your employee’s use to prove they work for an essential business when stopped by authorities in question.

Government Support & Aid

  • Families First Coronavirus Response Act (HR 6201) “Phase II” 
    The law includes employer-related leave provisions including Emergency FMLA, Emergency Paid Sick Leave, and refundable tax credits for employers required to provide such leave. Please see a fact sheet by Littler law firm here. 
  • Low-Interest Disaster Loan from U.S. Small Business Administration
    The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of COVID-19. 
  • Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) or H.R. 6201
    All small businesses in the country will be required to give employees two-weeks paid sick time related to COVID-19 causes. The law also provides up to ten-weeks off to care for a child whose school has closed for reasons related to the disease. Please read these three documents carefully, just released yesterday: Fact Sheet for Employees, Fact Sheet for Employers, and Questions and Answers.
  • Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economc Security (CARES) Act
    • Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)
      The EIDL program is tailored to meet the specific needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic and modeled after previous disaster relief programs. Its main feature is an immediate $10k grant and loan amounts up to $2m per business.
    • Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan
      A PPP loan is the more popular of the two, since there aren’t any downsides for applying, provided you are determined to keep all of your employees onboard for the next couple of months.

Remote Working Resources

At Home Workouts, Nutrition, and Health

The following companies are offering temporary free access to their streaming classes and/or memberships:

  • Grokker: Grokker is providing complimentary access to its on-demand video wellbeing solution to individuals, employers, and non-profits through April 30, 2020. During this time, users will have access to Grokker’s holistic wellbeing programs and videos – including fitness, mental health, nutrition, sleep and financial wellness. This includes access expert encouragement, GrokTalk and the support of the Grokker community.
  • Peloton: Day Free Trial: Stream any Peloton class on your phone, tablet or TV free for 90 days. This includes yoga and meditation; cardio, cycling, or running workouts; & strength in bodyweight and strength training classes.
  • Wellbeats: Access 500+ workouts from the convenience of your home (Available until April 30th)
  • PVolve: Choose from 200+ videos, with new ones added weekly. Filter by length, body focus and more. Extended 30 Day Free Trial, No Credit Card Needed.
  • Daily Burn: If you miss the social aspect of workout classes, consider giving Daily Burn a try. Their engaged online community could help you stay motivated while you’re self-quarantined. In addition to thousands of recorded group workouts (from Pilates to postnatal classes), they also provide virtual one-on-one training sessions through the smartphone app. Free 30 Day Trial.

Mental Health Resources

Webinars

Many associations, lawyers and HR firms are providing free webinars on important COVID-19 topics. Here are some examples we’ve liked, most are recorded and can be accessed later. Many are reoccurring. We will post these to our COVID-19 Resource Page. If you hear of one you like or would like to share any COVID-19 resources you hear about, please email shannon@vma.bz.

Other Resources

Preparedness


Situation Reports and Updates

Contact Us

These are extraordinary times so please stay safe. We know this will be a very challenging time for everyone in our industry. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to contact us as we are here to support your business. Incidentally, all of our commercial and health insurance account managers on staff are here to help with all of your insurance questions that may arise out of this crisis. ThinkHR is also available for your HR questions.

Gerry Bonetto, Government Affairs Specialist, gerry@vma.bz
Dan Nelson, VMA President, dan@vma.bz

 

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