
June 26, 2020 Chamber Connection
New Article Independent Contractors, Interns, Temporary Workers, & Leased Employees HR Policies and Compliance Tips (Webinar) 06/30/2020 Employer's Obligations Regarding Employees in Military Service (Webinar) 07/07/2020 NEW IL Mandatory Anti-Sexual Harassment Training: Train the Trainer (Effingham) 07/08/2020 NEW IL Mandatory Anti-Sexual Harassment Training: Train the Trainer (PEORIA) 07/09/2020 Employee Handbook DO's, Don'ts and Maybe's (Springfield) 07/14/2020 Employee Leaves Update (Edwardsville) 07/16/2020 Workplace Reasonable Suspicion Training: Don't be Left in the Haze (Chicago) 07/21/2020 The Aging Workforce (Webinar) 07/22/2020 Navigating the Bermuda Triangle of Leaves (Glen Ellyn) 08/05/2020 Workers' Compensation from the Employer's Perspective (Springfield) 08/18/2020 NEW IL Mandatory Anti-Sexual Harassment Training: Train the Trainer (Edwardsville) 08/19/2020 Corporate Governance: From Nuts and Bolts to Trending Topics (Chicago) 08/27/2020 Blood Drive Lisa Sauer's State Farm office is hosting an American Red Cross blood drive! June 29, 2020 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm 2670 Plaza Drive Highland, IL 62249 Please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter: StFHighland to schedule an appointment. How the Fed, Financial Industry Are Helping to Keep Main Street Going TOM QUAADMAN Economic prediction is a dangerous profession, but when Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says he’s “not even thinking about thinking about” raising interest rates you know he’s signaling something about the dire state of the economy. Like previous responses to emergency economic crises, we must utilize every available policy and monetary tool to help save jobs while stabilizing American businesses and the wider economy. The current predicament is not the cause of the business cycle or market failure. The fundamental cause of the current downturn are the government mandated shutdown orders brought about by COVID-19. This unprecedented shuttering or restricting operations of millions of businesses, upended the business model of entire sectors of the economy — tourism, air travel, restaurants, bars, brick-and-mortar retailers, and movie theatres. Any business relying on physical customers in proximity faces daunting challenges. CONTINUE READING	Here's a quick glance at the articles in this week's connection. Spirit of Enterprise Award & How They Voted Business Interruption Grants Program (BIG) Voters Will Decide If Madison County Should Lower A Portion Of Its Property Tax Levy in November Millard Joins Scott Credit Union’s Commercial Lending Team Guides and Resources from the U.S. Chamber New Article Blood Drive How the Fed, Financial Industry Are Helping to Keep Main Street Going Spirit of Enterprise Award & How They Voted This week, U.S. Chamber released the recipients of the annual Spirit of Enterprise Award. While we have awarded the Spirit of Enterprise to members of Congress for more than 40 years, this year’s award represents a new era for the Chamber. As many of you are aware, the Spirit of Enterprise Award recognizes members of Congress who have earned a 70% or higher pro-business score on our How They Voted legislative scorecard. However, for the first time we have expanded the factors we weigh in our scoring, and we now also rate members on bipartisanship and leadership. Click here to read the U.S. Chamber press release, and click here to see how your member of Congress scored. Business Interruption Grants Program (BIG) The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will launch the first round of Business Interruption Grants (BIG) by providing $60 million to businesses experiencing losses or business interruption as a result of COVID-19 related closures. The BIG Program is available for up to 3,500 businesses that experienced a limited ability to operate due to COVID-19 related closures. DCEO will begin distributing funds to qualifying businesses in early July. The total program funding will amount to at least $540 million in grants for small businesses, $270 of which has been set aside for childcare providers, and is funded by the CARES Act. In the first wave of grants, priority will be given to small businesses that have been heavily restricted or completely shut down during the pandemic and are located in DIAs. Businesses eligible for the program must have experienced extreme hardship, demonstrated by eligible costs or losses in excess of the grant amount, since March and may continue to face depressed revenues or closure. Businesses must also have been in operation for at least three months prior to March 2020. An emphasis will also be placed on those businesses that are located in areas that have experienced recent property damage due to civil unrest, exacerbating the economic impacts of COVID-19. Specifically, the program includes support for: • Businesses in DIAs - $20 million for businesses that are located in a subset of DIAs that have recently experienced significant property damage, providing 1,000 grants of $20,000 each • Bars and Restaurants - $20 million for bars and restaurants unable to offer outside service, providing at least 1,000 grants of up to $20,000 each • Barbershops and Salons - $10 million for barbershops and salons, providing 1,000 grants of $10,000 each • Gyms and Fitness Centers - $10 million for gyms and fitness centers that have lost significant revenue due to COVID-19, providing 500 grants of $20,000 each BUSINESS INTERRUPTION GRANT APPLICATION DCEO Business Interruption Grant Program Overview DCEO is hosting a BIG Grant program webinar on Monday, June 29. REGISTER HERE Voters Will Decide If Madison County Should Lower A Portion Of Its Property Tax Levy in November Madison County will place a referendum on the November election ballot giving voters an opportunity to lower a portion of its property tax levy. The County Board voted 25-1 Wednesday night to place the binding referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot. Voters will be asked, “Shall the maximum tax rate for general county purposes of Madison County, Illinois, be established at .18 percent of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein instead of .20 percent, the maximum rate otherwise applicable to the next taxes to be extended?” ... continue reading Millard Joins Scott Credit Union’s Commercial Lending Team Paul Millard recently joined Scott Credit Union as its new Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending. Millard, who has lived in Edwardsville for nearly 30 years, brings over 30 years of commercial credit and lending experience to the organization. His experience includes oversight of loan administration, credit underwriting/analysis, loan portfolio management, operational and credit soundness, and personnel management. “Paul’s passion for community involvement and his strong experience serving area businesses make him a great fit for our team at Scott Credit Union,” said SCU Chief Lending Officer Carrie O’Connor. “His proven commercial credit and business development experience will complement the existing strengths of our Commercial Banking team.” read more... Guides and Resources from the U.S. Chamber The U.S. Chamber continues to create, update, and evolve its various guides and resources to continue bringing you and your members the information you need during this difficult time. We encourage you to continue utilizing and sharing the following items as you see fit: UPDATED: Reopening Business Digital Resources Center Reopening Business Digital Resources Center Toolkit Small Business Reopening Playbook Main Street Lending Program Guide State-by-State Business Reopening Guidance Backgrounder on Health Coverage Options Backgrounder on Unemployment Insurance Under the CARES Act Independent Contractor's Guide to CARES Act Relief Coronavirus Emergency Loans Small Business Guide and Checklist Temporary Paid Leave and Family Medical Leave Guide Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program Guide Employee Retention Tax Credit Guide Coronavirus Small Business Guide Coronavirus Response Toolkit
Chamber Connection - June 26, 2020