Coronavirus – Jaws or Y2K*?
For you the employer, for you the HR Director, for you the person in charge of paid leave and benefits and payroll and who everyone turns to when no one knows what to do: is COVID-19 much ado about nothing or will you need a bigger boat?
If you answered bigger boat, below is a list of articles, blogs, podcasts, briefings and audio files from our authors, Chambers of Commerce we work with, the Centers for Disease Control, the EPA, recognized experts in HR and others.
Click the state name for material specific to you. The state is followed by the author(s) of the resources and/or contact in case you have a pressing legal need.
*For those of you around for the changing of the millennia, Y2K was a synonym for the upcoming computer apocalypse, which would in turn cause the meltdown of the workplace as we knew it. Until it was the new millennia. And then it wasn't an apocalypse or a meltdown.
For those of you around in 1975, there was this shark, a big shark, but you figured Robert Shaw and Roy Scheider (and Richard Dreyfuss to a lesser extent) could handle it. Until Roy saw the shark.
June 15th, 2020
Kathy Speaker MacNett at SkarlatosZonarich
Employers are asking what measures should be implemented in response to the Coronavirus – COVID-19 outbreak. Some are even questioning if they need a separate Coronavirus policy for their employees. Consider instead utilizing the employment laws and established Human Resources tools already in place, and supplementing with additional policies applicable to this crisis and future health care crises, only as needed.
The Coronavirus has caused some 3,800 deaths as of this writing; and continues to spread causing wide-spread concern inside and outside of the workplace. Employers can and should implement positive steps, without causing panic.
Kathy Speaker MacNett recommends consideration of the following ten steps:
March 9th, 2020
Michael Karst at Kastner Westman & Wilkins
Name three things you can do right now to prepare for COVID-19.
Michael Karst has four, so just go ahead and use his list.
March 3rd, 2020
Victoria Harker at Chamber Business News
“I want to assure everyone that the public health care system in Arizona is well prepared to respond to the spread of COVID-19.”
Cara Christ, the director of the state’s Department of Health Services
Victoria Harker lays it all out, including what, why and how, including:
- why the state of Arizona is in good hands
- steps for you, your employees and your business to take
- what to do if you suspect illness
- no need to wear a mask or stockpile food and water
- don't panic.
February 27th, 2020
Wesley Covert and Chad DeGroot at Laner Muchin
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) does not in fact secure your or your employees' retirement. What it does do is make a lot of changes, some of them required, some of them optional, some impacting employers and some only employees.
Wesley Covert and Chad DeGroot highlight notable changes and remind you that the IRS Code and ERISA may not be the only things needing amending.
(Talking about spending some quality time amending your plan and Summary Plan Descriptions. Go team.)
