BIPA Reform Makes Major Progress
On Tuesday, HB 559 was heard in the judicial-civil committee. The bill passed out of committee on a vote of 10-5-1. HB 559 requires aggrieved parties to prove actual damages in court. Furthermore, this bill provides a private entity 30 days to cure a violation of BIPA. Since 2019 there has been over 1,000 lawsuits predicated on the violation of BIPA which has financially harmed employers and nonprofit organizations of all sizes. The Chamber is a strong advocate of BIPA reform. HB 559 is a Chamber Initiative. The Chamber would especially like to thank Leader Durkin and Chairman Thapedi for their leadership on this issue. 

This is the first time a piece of legislation concerning BIPA reform has passed out of committee. Even more, this was the first time any consideration of BIPA reform has been given a hearing.
 

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These education events are through the Illinois Chamber. YOU CAN REGISTER AT MEMBER PRICES because the Highland Chamber is a member! 

 

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• 3/23 Gearing up for President Biden's Emergency COVID-19 Workplace Rules: In this webinar, we will discuss the new OSHA and COVID-19 related guidance and/or standards issued by the Biden Administration (REGISTER)

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• 3/24 COVID-Related Updates for Employee Benefit Plans: COVID relief bills recently passed by Congress include provisions significantly impacting employee benefit plans. In this 60-minute webinar, our presenting attorneys will discuss COVID-related changes to health and welfare plans, retirement plans and other benefits. (REGISTER)

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• 3/31 Prevailing Wage Updates for 2021 and Beyond: This webinar will discuss and examine the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act and what the Illinois Department of Labor is doing in administrating and enforcing the law. (REGISTER)

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• 4/6 Canceling Cancel Culture: How to Safeguard Your Reputation from Bad Publicity: Crisis management specialist and media lawyer, Ryan Jacobson, will help identify situations most likely to harm to your company’s reputation, determine when to employ a strategy, and guide you through the “do’s” and “don’ts” of combating bad publicity – within and outside of your organization. (REGISTER)

Complimentary Webcast Three Part Series! The Biden Administration - What Businesses Need to Know

The Biden administration is signaling significant policy shifts. Business owners and C-Suite executives are encouraged to join us for a series of complimentary webcasts discussing these likely changes and how they will impact your business.

• ​​Wednesday, March 31, 2021 @ Noon CT -- REGISTER HERE
  • More Regulation and Opportunities for Companies and Banking: What Businesses Can Expect from the Biden Administration presented by Eric Fogel, John Tanselle, and Carrie Hill
• Wednesday, April 14, 2021 @ Noon CT -- REGISTER HERE
  • ​Tax Changes on the Horizon with the Biden Administration presented by Joe Demko, Meredith Murphy, Rebecca Dobbs Bush, and Kelly Haab-Tallitsch

... it is time now to take stock of where we were as retailers and how far we have come in 12 months.

Sure it’s easy to say a five-year future timeline was compressed to six months as retailers had to learn about:

• Curbside delivery
• Cleaning protocols
• Buy online, pick up in store
• Livestreaming
• PPP and PPE

But at the local level what did all of that mean exactly?

CLICK HERE FOR HOPE (and to keep reading this article)

Illinois' cash-strapped child care providers soon will have an opportunity to apply for another round of extra, short-term assistance.  This comes via $331 million in "restoration grants" fueled by federal aid that was approved in December, and programs can use this funding to help cover January-March operations. 

The new help arrives on the heels of a similar, $290 million effort that helped thousands of providers weather the challenges of COVID last fall and early winter.  ReadyNation continues to pursue not only these short-term but also longer-range resources for child care and other early childhood providers, many of whom were facing enormous challenges well before the pandemic began — and who are so key to the stability and productivity of our workforce.


Grant applications face a March 31 deadline; for more info, visit https://www.ilgateways.com/financial-opportunities/restoration-grants. 

The Illinois On-Site Safety and Health Consultation Program provides free and confidential safety and health advice to small and medium-sized businesses committed to improving workplace safety and health.

On Site Safety and Health consultants are experts in identifying workplace hazards and making recommendations to eliminate these hazards with the goal of improving workplace safety and health.

Learn more here.

Our local SBDC office in Edwardsville is hosting 3 upcoming webinars:
 

WGEL is saluting local active service members on it website.

This week was Senior Airman Brock Schrage United States Air Force, a 2017 Highland High School graduate. You can view the full story here.

Do you know an active service member? Maybe one works for you? Maybe you're related to one? Is there an active service member in your church? If there is, Tom Kennedy at WGEL would love to hear from you, simply send an email to tom@wgel.com. 

Thank you WGEL for taking the time to recognize our active service members!

Metro East Humane Society Highland Soft Opening
We're ready to celebrate! The soft opening of our Metro East Humane Society Highland facility is scheduled for Saturday, April 24 from 11 AM to 3 PM. Please join us for tours, adoptable animals, and more information on volunteer and giving opportunities. Save the date and please share this exciting news!

Masks will be required to attend. We will follow COVID precautions as outlined by the state and CDC.
Details:
Metro East Humane Society took over Highland Animal Shelter in late 2019. All animals were adopted into homes, relocated to our MEHS Edwardsville facility, or placed with other animal rescues. MEHS began renovations to HAS in early 2020 with plans to reopen as the MEHS Highland facility, but had to pause due to COVID-19. We’re thrilled to be reopening to the public April 24, 2021 with a soft open! Join us from 11 AM-3 PM for a tour, adoptable animals, and to learn more about how you can support MEHS Highland through volunteer and giving opportunities! Like our FB page, visit www.mehs.org, email info@mehs.org, or call us at 618.656.4405 with any questions!

As our communities in our region are experiencing lower rates in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, we have modified our current visitor restrictions for HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese and Highland. The following visitor restrictions went into effect on Tuesday, March 16.

The Chamber office will be closed March 21 - 27. If you need immediate help, please speak with a board member. E-mails and voicemails will be returned as soon as possible.