Congress just passed changes to the PPP program, now headed for presidential approval: Extends the eight-week spending period of PPP funds for an additional 16 weeks  Increases the repayment time for unforgiven funds to five years for most applicants  Changes the forgiveness requirement maximum for non-payroll expenses from 25% to 40%, with a severe penalty if the 40% is exceeded…

On May 19, 2020, the Department of Labor issued revised interim enforcement guidance by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) concerning its recordkeeping requirement related to recording cases of COVID-19 for non exempt workplaces. Under previous interim enforcement guidance published on April 10, OSHA had temporarily exempted most employers from determining whether a recorded case was “work-related,” defined…

Yesterday, the SBA and Treasury Department released the application for business owners in order to have their PPP loan forgiven. The form and instructions include several measures to reduce compliance burdens and simplify the process for borrowers, including: Options for borrowers to calculate payroll costs using an “alternative payroll covered period” that aligns with borrowers’ regular payroll…

In these uncertain and stressful times, it is important to have a contingency plan in place should you or a loved one become ill. We suggest thinking about the following items: A review of your estate planning documents, as some documents may require modification. For example, you probably don’t want your living will to prohibit intubation,…

While Zoom appears to be more popular than GoToMeeting, Google Duo and other platforms (most consider the Zoom software more user friendly), Zoom seems to raise more security issues than most business professionals may be comfortable with.  As a result of this concern, a class action lawsuit alleging privacy violations has been filed against Zoom in the…

The U.S. Department of Labor previously issued guidance in the form of fourteen Q&A’s pertaining to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which went into effect on April 1, 2020, and which we included in our March 25th blog post. Since then, the U.S. DOL has expanded upon that initial list of Q&A’s, providing much needed…

Please click HERE to compare the emergency relief options offered to small businesses and not for profits in wake of COVID-19 and the CARES Act.

On March 25, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published workplace posters that small and midsize employers can use to fulfill their obligations to notify employees of their rights to expanded paid sick leave and expanded paid Family and Medical Leave Act leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). A notice…

Among the paid-leave requirements under the FFCRA: Eligible employers must provide two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at 100 percent of an employee’s pay if the employee is unable to work because he or she is quarantined or experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis. Eligible employers must…

Please note that U.S. DOL has established that the effective date of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act is now Wednesday, 4/1/20. Here is the text of the U.S. DOL guidance: DEFINITIONS “Paid sick leave” – means paid leave under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act. “Expanded family and medical leave” – means paid leave under the Emergency…

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Although we have not tried any telehealth providers, there are two promising sounding free options:  Ro, the direct-to-consumer telehealth startup, has launched a free online telehealth assessment for COVID-19. Those who think they may be experiencing signs or symptoms of the novel coronavirus can complete an online assessment, which will then be reviewed by a physician. If…