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New OSHA COVID-19 Guidelines

by | Feb 7, 2021 | Compliance, COVID-19 Resources

In late January 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued updated guidance on mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

This guidance is meant to help employers and workers determine appropriate COVID-19 control measures, and to educate employers and workers about the risks of being exposed to or contracting COVID-19 in the workplace.

In this post, we’ll be highlighting the most important aspects of this updated guidance and what employers need to know moving forward. Specifically, we’ll discuss:

  • The Purpose of This New Guidance
  • Guidance Highlights
  • What Next for Employers

To read the new OSHA COVID-19 guidance in its entirety, click here.

The Purpose of This New Guidance

OSHA released this updated guidance with the purpose of helping employers plan their COVID-19 prevention and mitigation strategies. OSHA strongly recommends that employers implement COVID-19 prevention programs in the workplace, especially in industries where employees are unable to work from home. The most effective mitigation strategies engage workers and their union or representatives in strategy development, according to OSHA’s recommendations.

The guidance covers the following:

  • Hazard assessments
  • Measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 (roles of employers and workers and training on COVID-19)
  • Isolation or separation measures of infected workers from the workplace (physical distancing, installing barriers or staying home)
  • Use of personal protective equipment
  • Improvements in ventilation, hygiene and sanitation measures

We’ll discuss some highlights about some of the above topics in the following section.

Guidance Highlights

In this section, we’ve compiled some of the most important points from OSHA’s new guidance, organized into the sections that we explained in the previous section:

Hazard Assessments

Employers should conduct a hazard assessment of their workplaces. According to the new OSHA guidance, the purpose of this is, “…to identify potential workplace hazards related to COVID-19.” The guidance also suggests that, “This assessment will be most effective if it involves workers (and their representatives) because they are often the people most familiar with the conditions they face.”

Isolation or Separation Measures of Infected Workers from the Workplace

The OSHA guidance strongly recommends that employers do everything they can to minimize the negative impact of quarantine and isolation on infected workers. Specifically, they suggest:

  • Allow them to telework or work in an area isolated from others, when possible. If not possible, allow workers to use paid sick leave.
  • Consider implementing paid leave policies to reduce infection risk for everyone in your workplace.
  • Remember that The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) provides certain employers 100% reimbursement (primarily through tax credits) to provide employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. This option will remain through March 31, 2021.

Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

In the updated guidance, OSHA acknowledges that not every industry can allow employees to work from home. In many industries, the only way for employers to perform their job responsibilities is to be at work in person. In this case, the use of PPE is necessary. Specific guidance related to employer provision of PPE includes:

  • Determine what PPE is necessary to adequately protect your employees.
  • Provide all PPE, if necessary, including respirators, face shields, protective gowns, and gloves, to the workers at no cost.
  • Make sure to provide PPE in accordance with relevant OSHA standards and other industry-specific guidance. Later in this post, we’ll explain where you can find industry-specific guidance.
  • Understand that there are instances in which PPE is not required under OSHA standards or other industry-specific guidance. Some workers may have a legal right to PPE as a “reasonable accommodation” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In other cases, workers may want to use it if they are still concerned about their personal safety (for example, if a family member is at higher-risk for severe illness, wearing a face shield in addition to a face covering as an added layer of protection). Employers should encourage and support voluntary use of PPE in these circumstances.

Improvements in Ventilation, Hygiene and Sanitation Measures

In addition to PPE, providing resources to help your employees maintain good personal hygiene is important to help them mitigate the risk of being infected with COVID-19. Specific recommendations include:

  • Provide tissues and no-touch trash cans.
  • Provide soap and warm or tepid water in the workplace in fixed worksites.
  • Place touchless hand sanitizer stations in multiple convenient locations throughout the office.
  • Provide workers with time to wash their hands often with soap and water (for at least 20 seconds) or to use hand sanitizer.
  • Place informational posters that encourage hand hygiene and physical distancing to help stop the spread of COVID-19 at the entrance to your workplace and in other workplace areas where they are likely to be seen. Be sure to include versions of the poster in different languages.
  • Promote personal health monitoring and good personal hygiene, including hand washing and good respiratory etiquette.
  • The supplies necessary to carry out each of the above hygiene recommendations should be provided at no cost to employees.

Other Measures to Limit the Spread of COVID-19

In addition to everything listed above, OSHA has recommended the following best practices to consider in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. Visit OSHA’s updated website for more information about these recommendations.

  • Assignment of a workplace coordinator. 
  • Identification of where and how workers might be exposed to COVID-19 at work. 
  • Identification of a combination of measures that will limit the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, in line with the principles of the hierarchy of controls.
  • Consideration of protections for workers at higher risk for severe illness through supportive policies and practices. 
  • Establishment of a system for communicating effectively with workers in a language they understand.
  • Educate and train workers on your COVID-19 policies and procedures using accessible formats and in a language they understand.
  • Isolating workers who show symptoms at work. 
  • Performing enhanced cleaning and disinfection after people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 have been in the facility.
  • Providing guidance on screening and testing.
  • Recording and reporting COVID-19 infections and deaths that occur in the workplace.
  • Implementing protections from retaliation and setting up an anonymous process for workers to voice concerns about COVID-19-related hazards.
  • Making a COVID-19 vaccine or vaccination series available at no cost to all eligible employees.
  • Not distinguishing between workers who are vaccinated and those who are not.

Industry Specific Guidance

OSHA has published a separate webpage with guidance for specific industries (click here to access this page). Some specific industries that are included are:

  • Airline Operations
  • Construction
  • Dentistry
  • Food Manufacturing and Processing
  • Laboratories
  • Manufacturing
  • Oil and Gas Operations
  • Pharmacies
  • Retail
  • Waste Management

Many other industries are included on the website, so be sure to take a look to see what is recommended for you and your employees.

What Next for Employers?

Keep in mind that OSHA will continue to update the guidance over time as new developments arise. OSHA fully intends to include additional situational and industry-specific guidance as we learn more about COVID-19 moving forward.

Employers should review this recent and any future guidance carefully and implement any new recommendations as applicable. Employers should consider assigning someone on their staff to regularly monitor the OSHA website for any changes in COVID-19 best practices and standards.

As we mentioned in the previous section, OSHA has published many industry-specific recommendations. Business leaders are strongly encouraged to review the specific guidelines that OSHA has provided for their industries.

Key Takeaways

OSHA has issued important updated COVID-19 guidelines for employers. These guidelines can be summarized into the following themes:

  • Hazard assessments
  • Measures to limit the spread of COVID-19
  • Isolation or separation measures of infected workers from the workplace (physical distancing, installing barriers or staying home)
  • Use of personal protective equipment
  • Improvements in ventilation, hygiene and sanitation measures
  • Industry specific guidelines.

Employers should carefully review the specific details of this guidance, which we’ve summarized in this post and are also available by clicking here. Employers should also consider assigning someone on their staff to regularly check back on OSHA’s website for further COVID-19 prevention guidelines. 

What Employers Should Know as the COVID Vaccine Becomes More Widely Distributed

by | Jan 21, 2021 | COVID-19 Resources

Multiple COVID-19 vaccines are now being distributed across the world. Initial reports indicate that distribution has been slow, but the pace will surely pick up in coming weeks as more vaccines are produced. The vaccine is the light at the end of a dark tunnel that lasted for the majority of 2020. Many employers are optimistically looking forward to their employees receiving the vaccine, as it will allow operations to return to some form of normalcy.

In this post, we’ll cover the most important things that employers need to be aware of when it comes to COVID vaccine distribution and timelines. Specifically, we’ll cover:

  • Phases and Priorities for COVID Vaccine Release
  • Legality of Mandatory Vaccines
  • Strategies to Encourage Employees to Receive the Vaccine
  • COVID Vaccine Coverage

Phases and Priorities for COVID Vaccine Release

It’s helpful to think of COVID vaccine distribution in three phases:

  • Phase 1: Potentially limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses available – During this phase with a limited supply of vaccines, efforts will be concentrated on vaccinating priority populations (we are currently in the midst of Phase 1).
  • Phase 2: Large number of vaccine doses available – During the second phase, enough vaccinations will be available to vaccinate the general population.
  • Phase 3: Sufficient supply of vaccine doses for entire population (surplus of doses) – During the final phase of vaccine distribution, the focus will be on ensuring equitable vaccination access and continual monitoring of COVID-19 infections.

Even more important than understanding the general phases of vaccine distribution is an understanding of which populations are being prioritized for the vaccine. The following groups of people are considered the top priority for vaccinations:

  • Healthcare personnel (paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials)
  • Non-healthcare essential workers
  • Adults with high-risk medical conditions who possess risk factors for severe COVID-19 illness
  • People 65 years of age and older (including those living in LTCFs)

Legality of Mandatory Vaccines

Many employers are likely wondering if they can require that their employees get the vaccine. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a federal agency that administers and enforces civil rights laws against workplace discrimination, here are some things that employers CAN do:

  • Require employees to receive COVID-19 vaccinations
    • However, employers may need to accommodate certain refusals. We’ll explain more about this later in this section.
  • Ask employees if they have COVID-19 or relevant symptoms.
  • Screen applicants for COVID-19 symptoms after making conditional job offers. 
  • Require employees to stay home if they have COVID-19 or its symptoms. Requiring medical notes before returning to work is permissible.

Employers should know how vaccines relate to the American’s With Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the ADA, vaccines are considered a medical exam. For an employer to mandate vaccines, they must be job-related and consistent with business necessity. The ADA also allows employers to require that their employees undergo certain health screenings and inquiries depending on the state of employment.

We’ll conclude this section by listing some reasons that individuals may be exempt from a vaccine mandate:

  • Certain disabilities
  • Pregnancy
  • Religious beliefs

Medical documentation can be requested for disabilities and pregnancy.

Before you implement a vaccine mandate at your company, you should consult with your HR leadership and ideally your legal council to make sure you have an agreed upon strategy for managing vaccine exemptions.

Strategies to Encourage Employees to Receive the Vaccine

As explained in the previous section, employers do have the right to require that employees receive the vaccine. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they should. A better strategy might be to encourage vaccination rather than requiring it. Requiring the vaccine has the potential to cause serious issues, especially if a large number of employees refuse to comply with the mandate.

Consider the following simple strategies for encouraging vaccination:

  • Subsidize the cost of vaccines.
  • Allow paid time off to go get vaccines.
  • Offer vaccines at the workplace to reduce any inconvenience.

Your local health department has most likely already created vaccine-related educational content that can be shared with your employees to inform them about the facts related to the COVID vaccines.

COVID Vaccine Coverage

An interim rule was passed by several federal government entities on November 6, 2020 that will require Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers to cover a COVID-19 vaccine without any cost sharing.

For private health plans, this rule implements a requirement in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that plans provide coverage (without cost sharing) for qualifying COVID-19 preventive services. COVID-19 immunizations are considered preventive services.

Additionally, plans and issuers must cover qualifying COVID-19 preventive services during the entirety of the COVID-19 public health emergency without cost sharing. This is true regardless of whether an in-network or out-of-network provider delivers the preventive services.

The bottom line is that your business’ healthcare plan will be required to cover COVID-19 preventive services, including the vaccine, with no cost sharing.

Key Takeaways

Employers should know that vaccine distribution will take place in three phases. Unless you are a healthcare, education, or frontline-worker based organization, your employees will probably receive the vaccine during the second phase.

Priority populations for vaccination during the first phase are:

  • Healthcare personnel
  • Non-healthcare essential workers (i.e. frontline workers)
  • Adults with high-risk medical conditions
  • People 65 years of age and older

Vaccine mandates for employees are permissible under the EEOC and ADA. However, you should be aware of certain exemptions based on disabilities, certain health conditions like pregnancy, or religious beliefs. Before a mandate in implemented, employers should have a plan in place for dealing with these exemptions.

As a general best practice, it may be wiser to encourage vaccination rather than require it.

Rules approve by several federal agencies require that Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers cover COVID-19 preventive procedures with no cost sharing. This includes vaccination.

This blog post has been a summary of the most important things employers should know about vaccine distribution. If you are in need of a more detailed breakdown of this topic, download our complete eBook: COVID-19 Vaccine Playbook for Employers.

COVID-19 Burned Out HR Leaders Everywhere: Here’s How to Help

by | Jan 14, 2021 | Compliance, COVID-19 Resources, Human Resources

Many HR professionals would agree that the year 2020 was the most challenging year to date when it comes to managing human capital effectively. The COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses to adapt in a variety of ways, including restructuring workforces, transforming product offerings and operations, and doing everything possible to keep businesses open while physically distancing employees from one another. These challenges, among many others faced during the ongoing COVID pandemic, has led to burnout among many HR professionals.

We’ll address HR employee burnout in this post. Specifically, we’ll discuss:

  • Identifying the Issue
  • What HR Leaders Can Do to Improve the Situation
  • How Company Leadership Can Better Support their HR Team Moving Forward

Identifying the Issue

As an HR leader, you need to be able to understand burnout in yourself, your HR teammates, and all employees at your company.

HR professionals are often expected to be the most empathetic people in an organization. If someone is having a stress/anxiety or interpersonal related issue, HR will often be their first stop. This can lead to something called compassion fatigue. Showing empathy is a skill, but it’s not an easy one. Even the most empathetic people can feel drained of energy when they are showing compassion to multiple people in a short amount of time. This is one of the primary reasons that so many HR professionals are feeling burnout.

During 2020, HR was asked to make a lot of hard decisions. They were also charged with communicating these decisions to employees. Telling everyone that they need to work from home and isolate themselves from as many people as possible is no easy task. And in worst case scenarios, HR leaders were tasked with implementing large-scale furloughs or layoffs. On top of this, federal regulations became a moving target for HR leaders during COVID. Adapting to FFCRA in the midst of transitioning to remote work or altered operations was a super challenging task. After making these tough decisions, dealing with any pushback from staff, and navigating incredibly complex compliance challenges, it’s no wonder that burnout has become so common for HR employees.

What HR Leaders Can Do to Improve the Situation

As an HR leader experiencing burnout, it may be time to consider burnout best practices that could apply to anyone in your workforce. Think about the advice that you would give to any non-HR employee who might approach you with concerns about feeling burned out. What would you tell them? Take that advice, and apply it to yourself. Here are some things you might consider:

  • Don’t be afraid to take time off. HR employees too often feel like they have to be extra conservative with their vacation days. They feel like they have to set an example of when it is or is not appropriate to take time off. Throw this idea out the window! If you are experiencing burnout and you have PTO available, use it! Even if travelling is unrealistic right now due to COVID, taking a few days off and spending time exercising, doing hobbies, or relaxing with family and friends can go a long way towards quelling burnout.
  • Find a listening ear. It’s very possible that the employees best equipped to listen and show empathy about employee burnout are your HR coworkers. If you don’t feel comfortable discussing your burnout with them, reach out to friends you have in the industry. Think about who you worked with at a previous job, who you met at a conference in recent years, or someone you might be connected with on LinkedIn. Join and online community of HR leaders in your local area. You’ll be surprised at just how willing people in your professional network will be to help you by listening to your challenges and providing guidance.
  • Ask for the help you need. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. HR employees don’t need to be examples of perfection. It’s okay to feel down and unmotivated during these troubling times. There is no shame in this. Whatever help you need, get it. A few months or years from now, you’ll thank yourself for doing whatever it took to get yourself back on track using healthy strategies.

How Company Leadership Can Better Support their HR Team Moving Forward

As counter intuitive as this might sound, HR isn’t always equipped to solve every people-related challenge in the workplace. Often the support of company leadership – the CEO, Founder, President, etc. – is needed.

Company leadership should go above and beyond to acknowledge HR accomplishments during this difficult time. Awarding the “employee of the month” title to someone in HR, sending a hand-written thank you note, or even a “shoutout” included in an internal company communication will go a long way towards making your HR team feel recognized for the hard work they have performed over the last year. Could you go as far as gifting your organization’s HR leader a gift certificate to a spa or have lunch delivered to their home form their favorite restaurant? Get creative in showing your HR teammates just how much their effort means to your company during this challenging time.

Also important, company leadership should consider potential gaps in employee benefits. Could your employee assistance program be expanded? What does your company’s mental health coverage lack? Understanding these gaps in benefits and acting on them will go a long way towards ensuring your entire team’s mental and physical health are cared for, and especially your HR staff during this challenging time.

Key Takeaways

Burnout among HR employees is becoming very common in the wake of the challenging year 2020. Compassion fatigue, combined with the weight of having to make and communicate so many challenging decisions, are the primary reasons for this burnout. HR employees can help themselves overcome burnout by doing the following:

  • Don’t be afraid to take time off.
  • Find a listening ear.
  • Get the help you need.

Company leadership should also take the initiative to help their HR team overcome burnout. Two ideal strategies for achieving this are:

  • Going the extra mile to make sure HR is acknowledged and thanked for the challenging work they have been performing over the last year.
  • Ensure that there are no gaps in benefits coverage that are limiting your team’s ability to take care of themselves and their mental health.

Launchways Provides HR Leaders the Support They Need So They Can Focus on Strategic Initiatives

At Launchways, we partner with organizations to help alleviate the administrative and compliance burdens placed on HR professionals. With Launchways’ support, HR leaders have more time to work on strategic initiatives rather than getting bogged down by tactical day-to-day items. Learn more about how Launchways helps HR leaders.

What Employers Need to Know About the Second Round of PPP Loans

by | Jan 13, 2021 | Compliance, COVID-19 Resources

On Monday, Jan. 11th, The U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Small Business Administration began accepting applications for the second round of Payment Protection Program (PPP) loans. This second round will continue until Mar. 31st, 2021.

Both new borrowers and certain existing borrowers are eligible for the second round of PPP loans. Now that applications have started, business leaders need to be prepared to follow the new requirements.

Information About the Second Round of PPP Loans

The rules for the second round of PPP Loans are, in many ways, similar to the initial round. That said, there are certain updates to the first round of funding that employers should be aware of. According to the U.S. Department of Treasury, the key updates include:

  • PPP borrowers can set their PPP loan’s covered period to be any length between eight and 24 weeks to best meet their business needs;
  • PPP loans will cover additional expenses, including operations expenditures, property damage costs, supplier costs, and worker protection expenditures;
  • The program’s eligibility is expanded to include 501(c)(6)s, housing cooperatives, and direct marketing organizations, among other types of organizations;
  • The PPP provides greater flexibility for seasonal employees;
  • Certain existing PPP borrowers can request to modify their First Draw PPP Loan amount; and
  • Certain existing PPP borrowers are now eligible to apply for a Second Draw PPP Loan.

Last year, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) covered six months of payments on loans that existed as of Mar 27th, 2020  in addition to any new loans issued before Sep. 27th, 2020 under the CARES Act. Under the new bill, beginning in February of 2021, these same borrowers will receive an additional three months of payments from the SBA.

Additionally, for existing borrowers as of Dec. 27th, 2020, the new bill provides another five months of payments for industries that were hit the hardest by COVID-19. Other temporary changes include a guaranty increase from 75% to 90% and fee waivers through Sep. 30th.

Am I Eligible for a Second PPP Loan?

A borrower is generally eligible for a Second Draw PPP Loan if the borrower:

  • Previously received a First Draw PPP Loan and will or has used the full amount only for authorized uses;
  • Has no more than 300 employees; and
  • Can demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in gross receipts for any quarter in 2020 compared to 2019.

Those who are eligible can apply for up to 2.5 times the borrower’s average monthly payroll for 2019 or 2020, with a limit of $2 million. It’s important to note that this maximum is substantially less than the first round of the program which set the limit at $10 million.

Industries that were hit the hardest by COVID-19 (Accommodations, Food Service, etc.) can qualify for loans up to 3.5 times the borrower’s average monthly payroll.

What are the Rules for PPP Loan Forgiveness for Second Draw Loans?

While the application process will likely be easier for most, the forgiveness rules are, for the most part, the same as they were for the first round of PPP loans. Borrowers are eligible to have their loans forgiven in full provided they use the funds for eligible costs within the covered period (8-24 weeks from loan disbursement).

A minimum of 60% of the PPP loan must have been spent on payroll costs in order to qualify for full forgiveness. The rest can be used for business mortgage interest payments, rent, utilities, or other expenses under the new stimulus bill, such as specific operation expenses, supplier costs, and worker protection expenses. 

Please note: in order to receive maximum loan forgiveness, detailed documentation of PPP spending is necessary, including paid checks, payroll documentation, receipts, and billing statements.

What is the Process to Apply for Loan Forgiveness?

The U.S. Small Business Administration has until Jan. 20th, 2021 to develop forms and instructions for a forgiveness application for loans of up to $150,000. Borrowers who qualify will be required to include details about the number of employees retained and the amount spent on payroll in addition to signing and submitting the form.

Borrowers must also attest to the accuracy of the certification and compliance with PPP requirements. Simplified forgiveness applications will not require supporting documentation, however, they must be retained for up to four years for future review by the SBA. The new PPP program launched this week does not change the forgiveness process for loans over $150,000.

What’s Next?

Employers should review the criteria for this second round of PPP loans. Employers considering applying should prepare and have on hand all relevant documentation.

We will continue to monitor any additional developments regarding the PPP and deliver updates as necessary. For more information and support, contact Launchways.

Actionable Strategies Employers Can Use to Keep Employees Connected & Engaged During Remote Work

by | Dec 23, 2020 | COVID-19 Resources, Leadership

At the beginning of 2020, working from home was often viewed by employers and workers as a privilege that few were able to take advantage of regularly. By the end of this year, remote work has become an accepted and, at times, a dull reality of life as the COVID-19 pandemic continues on.

While working from home offers employees new benefits such as a more flexible schedule (and often a more comfortable wardrobe), many have reported feeling mentally and socially disconnected from their team or organization. As impromptu discussions in the hallway and the ‘meeting after the meeting’ are no longer available socialization options to employees, these feelings of isolation are understandable and natural side effects of working in virtual silos. However, if these feelings of detachment are left unchecked, they can lead to obstacles in employee productivity and overall happiness, which may ultimately result in major inefficiencies or unwanted employee turnover.

Today I’ll cover:

  • Creating the right environment for remote employees
  • Ideas for strengthening team camaraderie in the virtual environment
  • Fostering an Encouraging Atmosphere

Overcommunicate In Order to Avoid Confusion

Working from home has required employees to be more proactive and intentional when communicating with one another in order to avoid unnecessary conflict. In a remote environment, communication between colleagues is often reduced to written messages via email, text, or chat. Without vocal cues or body language to contextualize the sentiment of your message, recipients can easily misinterpret your meaning or intention, leaving them feeling anxious or frustrated. In order to negate these unnecessary misunderstandings, it is important to be extremely clear about what you’re trying to say.

For example, a short email that reads “Please do this again” may sound like a straightforward message, but its curt nature may be interpreted by the recipient as “The work you submitted was subpar and I am frustrated that you’re not getting this right.” Instead, surround your directive with encouraging language to both build the confidence of the recipient while being specific about what parts of the work need to be redone. This is especially important when a power dynamic is involved, i.e. a conversation between a manager and their employee. A more productive version of your email could read “I thought you did a nice job with this work project. However, XYZ needs to be redone in order to [insert rationale].” By being mindful of your word choice now, employers can avoid addressing unnecessary concerns or fears their employees may be having later on.

Make Meetings More Meaningful & Avoid Meeting Fatigue

While in-person interactions are currently prohibited in the interest of employee health and safety, virtual interactions through streaming video are a great way to foster connection between employees. Many companies have invested in software solutions like Zoom or Microsoft Teams that teammates can access from home to provide a safe alternative to in-person meetings. However, many employees can choose to turn their camera off during meetings. In order to create clearer channels of communication,

consider requiring everyone to turn their cameras on during virtual meetings to increase attentiveness and foster more authentic conversation. Keep in mind that meeting fatigue is a real phenomenon, and remote work can exacerbate this frustration since all meetings are now conducted in the same virtual and physical space. While managers may intend for increased virtual face time to foster a sense of connectedness, too many virtual meetings can ironically work against efforts to increase group affinity, resulting in employees feeling mentally drained and less willing to meaningfully contribute to the group discussion. Try to reduce unnecessary meetings to avoid leaving your employees feeling burnt out.

Dedicate Time for One-on-One Conversations

Finally, there may be questions or concerns that employees don’t feel comfortable sharing in a group setting. As busy managers notoriously have full schedules during the workday, it can be hard for employees to find time to bring their concerns to their manager’s attention, and they may even question whether their topic is important enough to warrant a discussion. It’s important that employees feel heard and valued, especially in a remote setting where messages can easily be misconstrued. Managers can be sure that employees are supported by holding dedicated and recurring virtual office hours where employees are welcome to bring up topics important to them. By proactively making themselves virtually available to employees, managers can forge stronger connections with their direct reports and strengthen team buy-in.

Steps to Strengthen Your Team’s Bond

Making time and virtual space available for socialization is crucial to retaining a strong and connected workforce. In order to maintain trust and a sense of camaraderie among employees, managers have been forced to get creative with group interactions that are outside the scope of work-related tasks and projects.

High-energy and engagement group interactions like virtual trivia sessions, games, and quizzes can enable team members to create deeper ties with one another. Examples of fun and easy games are “two truths and one lie” or home scavenger hunts. For a more relaxed approach, managers can hold virtual happy hours or craft nights on a weekly or monthly recurring basis, where team members can get together to participate in a shared and casual activity. To keep employee morale high, introduce an interesting question that all attendees must answer or ask team leads to acknowledge a specific employee for the good work they have recently done. Note that employers don’t have to facilitate all of these informal meetings either- in fact, managers may find that extending ownership of workplace culture to employees helps to foster a stronger sense of unity (and additional creative ideas).

Finally, it’s important to repeatedly remind your management team and employees that we are living through an unexpected time during which whole organizations have had to make accelerated and major adjustments in order to continue functioning. While some organizational expectations may remain the same, other look very different. For instance, work must still be submitted on time but wearing a sweatshirt to a meeting is now permissible. Emphasize patience and understanding to managers and employees alike, as each individual is dealing with their own unique set of professional and personal challenges in the face of remote work during this global pandemic.

Key Takeaways

Remote work is not without its challenges. However, managers armed with proactive solutions and creative ideas for team building are better situated to foster a strong sense of employee connection in the face of social isolation. Remember:

  • Leverage clear and careful language in emails/texts and use video when possible to contextualize your message and avoid misunderstandings
  • Look for creative ways to foster a sense of unity on your team through virtual interaction without creating meeting fatigue or employee burnout
  • Extend grace to all and make yourself available to employees to increase feelings of trust and validation in employees

Speak with Launchways for more virtual workplace guidance, including resources for employees who are struggling with isolation during COVID.

What Employers Need to Know About the $900 Billion Stimulus Package

by | Dec 23, 2020 | Compliance, COVID-19 Resources

The leading news of the week from the political world has been the $900 billion stimulus package that was passed by Congress on Monday, December 21st. After several months of stalemate between the divided house and senate, a COVID-19 relief bill finally won enough votes to be placed on President Trump’s desk for his signature. It is expected that he will eventually sign it into law, although he has demanded revisions be included in some aspects of the bill.

In this post, we’ll talk about the most important aspects of this bill that employers need to be aware of. Specifically, we’ll discuss:

  • Unemployment Benefits Funding and Extension
  • Business Aid
  • Direct Economic Impact Payments
  • Other Important Aspects of the Bill

Unemployment Benefits Funding and Extension

The bill opens the door for unemployed Americans to receive $300 per week in federal aid in addition to any unemployment aid they may be receiving from their state. Unemployment benefit funds in some states have already dried up, but that will not affect an unemployed worker’s access to this federal aid. The bill lays out a timeline to provide this federal unemployment aid from the end of December 2020 through March 14, 2021, although the bill has language indicating it could last longer.

For added context on this aspect of the bill, recall that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was passed on March 27, 2020, provided funding for states to waive any waiting week requirements for unemployment income throughout the pandemic. The CARES act also provided an additional $600 per week to all individuals receiving unemployment income benefits for weeks of unemployment ending before July 31, 2020. President Trump extended a portion of unemployment wages after the initial $600 per week expired.

The bill that was passed on December 21st includes an extension of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). PUA is a program that allows employees who are not traditionally eligible to receive unemployment benefits to do so. Examples include:

  • Self-employed workers
  • Workers in gig industries (Like Uber)
  • Various types of independent consultants
  • Some hourly workers

An 11-week extension in base benefits through this PUA is also included within the bill.

Key Highlight: The new stimulus bill that was passed by Congress on December 21st, 2020, will provide $300/week for unemployed Americans. It also extends the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which provides unemployment benefits for self-employed or gig workers.

Business Aid

The Small Business Administration (SBA) will receive $325 billion through this bill to assist businesses in the United States that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of this amount, $284 billion will go towards replenishing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provides forgivable small business loans to eligible applicants.

Business owners will be happy to learn that certain firms that had already applied for, received and exhausted PPP funds will be eligible to apply for another PPP loan. The eligibility requirements are as follows:

  • A small business must have less than 300 employees
  • The business must have sustained at least a 30% loss in revenue during any quarter of 2020
  • Small 501(c)(6) organizations with 150 or fewer employees that are not lobbying organizations would be eligible for a PPP loan with this round of funding

The bill also affects the PPP in the following ways:

  • Supplier and investment costs related to modifying facilities and obtaining personal protective safety equipment are now eligible expenses for loan forgiveness
  • The loan forgiveness process for businesses that have borrowed $150,000 or less in PPP loans has been simplified
  • It has been confirmed that business expenses paid for with PPP funds are tax deductible

It is important to note that businesses interested in applying for a PPP loan should consult with their lender. Money should never be borrowed without consulting an expert first.

There are two other relevant aspects of this new bill that will affect some businesses:

  • The bill directs $15 billion in funding for independent live-venue operators
  • The bill adds another $20 billion for small business grants

Key Highlight: The new stimulus bill replenishes funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Some business owners will be able to apply for a PPP loan for a second time. The bill also expands eligible expenses for loan forgiveness and simplifies some processes.

Direct Economic Impact Payments

The part of this bill that has received the most news coverage is another round of stimulus checks. Eligible Americans received a first round of stimulus checks under the CARES Act last spring. Under the CARES Act, individuals earning up to $75,000/year or married couples (who file jointly) earning up to $150,000 were eligible to receive the full payment of $1,200 per individual or $2,400 per couple. A $500 payment was included for each qualifying child.

The new bill follows the same eligibility requirements as we saw under the CARES Act. However, instead of being eligible for a $1,200 payment, qualifying taxpayers are only eligible for a payment of $600 per individual or $1,200 per married couple. Parents will be eligible to receive $600 for each qualifying child. President Trump is currently demanding congress increase the payment amount provided, although it remains to be seen how this will pan out.

Key Highlight: The new bill, as it stands, will provide stimulus payments of $600 per individual, or $1,200 for married couples filing jointly. Parents will be eligible to receive $600 for each qualifying child. As with the CARES Act earlier in 2020, eligibility requirements apply.

Other Things to Know About the Bill

There are a few other general aspects of this bill that business owners should be aware of.

Other provisions in the bill:

  • U.S. Postal Service—$10 billion
  • Health Care Provider Relief Fund—$35 billion
  • COVID-19 Testing and Tracing and Vaccine Distribution—$69 billion
  • Transportation Industry Relief (Airlines, Airports, Buses, Transit and Amtrak)—$45 billion
  • Education—$82 billion
  • Housing Assistance (Rental)—$25 billion
    • Additionally, the bill extends the federal moratorium on evictions until the end of January 2021

What’s not included in the bill:

  • There is no direct aid provided to state, local, or tribal governments
  • The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was not explicitly extended by this bill
    • This means that employers are no longer required to provide federal FFCRA leave later than December 31, 2020
    • Keep in mind that some states have passed their own FFCRA-like legislation

Key Highlight: Several industries will receive significant federal funding under the new bill. The bill includes no direct aid to local governments. Also, the FFCRA is not extended by this new bill.

Key Takeaways

The new $900 billion stimulus package will not be official until it is signed by President Trump. Trump has criticized certain aspects of the bill, and it currently demanding some updates. It’s expected he will eventually sign it into law. The most important things for employers to know about the bill are as follows:

  • The new stimulus bill will provide $300/week for unemployed Americans. It also extends the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which provides unemployment benefits for self-employed or gig workers.
  • The new stimulus bill replenishes funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Some business owners will be able to apply for a PPP loan for a second time. The bill also expands eligible expenses for loan forgiveness and simplifies some processes.
  • As it stands, the new bill will provide stimulus payments of $600 per individual, or $1,200 for married couples filing jointly. Parents will be eligible to receive $600 for each qualifying child. As with the CARES Act earlier in 2020, eligibility requirements apply.
  • Several industries will receive significant federal funding under the new bill. The bill includes no direct aid to local governments. Also, the FFCRA is not extended by this new bill.