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  • As the Coronavirus impacts businesses everywhere, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide some financial support during difficult times. The $2 trillion Coronavirus stimulus package contains a $349 billion lending program for small businesses, along with other means of relief.

    For small business owners, this news provides a form of respite in a difficult time. Of course, now these employers may ask how these loans work and whether they can access them. Read on to find out if your business can apply for a loan and how they impact your operations.

    Money from a CARES Act small business loan granted to a business impacted by the Coronavirus. 

    Is My Business Eligible for CARES Act Loans?

    As long as your business has fewer than 500 employees, it’s eligible for a loan. The stimulus package applies to businesses from all states and territories and even extends to self-employed individuals, independent contractors, and sole proprietors. The CARES Act does prioritize certain types of businesses, such as those in under-served and rural markets or businesses that are less than two years old.

    What Financial Assistance is Available for the Coronavirus?

    The CARES Act lays out a couple of different forms of financial relief for small businesses. The most notable of these is the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program, which will provide partially forgiven loans depending on how businesses use them.

    Paycheck Protection Program Loans

    According to the CARES Act, businesses can receive a loan of 2.5 times the businesses’ monthly payroll up to $10 million. The exact amount your company can receive is based on how much you paid your employees between Jan. 1 and Feb. 29, plus 25 percent of that total amount. These loans have a fixed interest rate of one percent regardless of business type (the final rates, underwriting standards and other terms and conditions are to be determined). The Small Business Administration also notes that it will “forgive the portion of the loan proceeds that are used to cover the first eight weeks of payroll and certain other expenses following loan origination” if you are able to maintain your workforce.

    In addition, the CARES Act incentivizes employers for using loans for what it considers allowable purposes. By doing so, your Paycheck Protection Program loan can be forgiven and you’ll only need to pay back accrued interest on your loan if you use the loan for the following:

    • Payroll costs
    • Costs related to the continuation of group health care benefits during periods of paid sick, medical, or family leave, and insurance premiums
    • Employee salaries
    • Interest payments on any mortgage
    • Rent and utility payments
    • Interest payments on any other debt obligations that were incurred before Feb. 15, 2020

    Economic Injury Disaster Loans

    In addition to the $349 billion lending program, the CARES Act also allotted $10 Billion for the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs). According to Forbes, the expanded provisions mean that:

    • EIDLS can be approved by the SBA based solely on your credit score (a prior bankruptcy won’t disqualify your business)
    • EIDLs smaller than $200,000 don’t need a personal guarantee for approval (real estate is also not required as collateral)
    • Borrowers can receive $10,000 in an emergency grant cash advance that can be forgiven if spent on paid leave, maintaining payroll, increased costs due to supply chain disruption, mortgage/lease payments, or repaying obligations that cannot be met due to revenue loss
    • EIDLs are now accessible for sole proprietors, independent contractors, tribal businesses, cooperatives, ESOPs with fewer than 500 employees, and all non-profits

    How Do I Apply for CARES Act Loans?

    If you’re want to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, you can do so at any lending institution approved to participate by the SBA. You can apply for EIDLs online at the SBA website. 

    Contact us if you have any HR related questions on how to keep things running smoothly through these difficult times. 

  • In response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020. Among many different types of loans and incentives, the CARES Act introduced tax relief for businesses in the form of payroll tax credits, enhanced net operating loss (NOL) deductions, and payroll tax deferment. However, the payroll tax deferral section of the CARES Act raised several questions for small and medium-sized businesses, especially those that received loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

    To help answer these questions, the IRS released guidance on April 10, 2020, regarding payroll tax deferrals. Here’s what business owners need to know when it comes to paying taxes on social security this year.

     Small business owner defers payroll taxes under CARES Act.

    What deposits and payments can employers defer?

    Section 2302 of the CARES Act enables employers to defer certain payroll taxes, specifically the employer contribution of Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes, otherwise referred to as the employer’s portion of social security taxes. Typically, employers are required to pay 6.2 percent of social security taxes for each employee’s covered wages on a semi-weekly or monthly basis.

    The deferral applies to deposits and payments of the employer’s share of the 6.2 percent social security tax owed for 2020. Without the CARES Act, this tax would have otherwise been required to be made during the period beginning on March 27, 2020, and ending December 31, 2020. There is no dollar cap on the total amount of an employer’s social security taxes that can be deferred.

    It’s important to note that the CARES Act does not cover other payroll taxes, such as the Medicare tax (1.45 percent) or the employee’s share of the social security tax. The CARES Act does, however, outline tax deferrals in an equivalent amount for self-employed individuals subject to the Self Employment Contributions Act (SECA) and employers and employees subject to the Railroad Retirement Tax Act (RRTA).

     

    When are deferred tax payments due?

    In order to avoid penalties, the deferred payments of the employer’s share of social security tax must be deposited by the following dates:

    • On December 31, 2021, 50 percent of the deferred amount must be paid.
    • On December 21, 2022, the remaining amount must be paid.

     

    Who is eligible to defer tax payments?

    All employers, regardless of size, may defer the deposit and payment of the employer’s share of social security tax. However, employers who received PPP loans become ineligible to continue deferring tax payments after receiving notice from the lender that the loan is forgiven. The Small Business Administration (SBA) says “the loan will be fully forgiven if the funds are used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities” if you are able to maintain your workforce.

    For payments deferred through the forgiveness date, employers may continue to defer payments until the end of 2021 and 2022 as described above without incurring penalties for failure to pay. The CARES Act also states that employers who have had a loan forgiven under the U.S. Treasury Program Management Authority are also ineligible to defer payments.

     

    Do employers need to make special elections to defer tax payments?

    No, employers do not need to make any special elections to defer deposits and payments for payroll taxes. The IRS will revise the Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return (Form 941) for the second quarter (April through June 2020). The IRS says information will soon be released regarding deposits and payments otherwise due on or after March 27, 2020, for the first quarter (January through March 2020).

    Contact us if you have any HR or payroll-related questions on how to keep things running smoothly through this transition. 

  • “Normalcy”, “Normality”, “Normal”; No more. I’ve never heard the verbal and written abuse of a seemingly, well, normal, word as much as the six-letter description of what is supposed to be over the past three months. For those of us familiar with the U.S. healthcare system, we’ve discarded the word “normal” from our vocabulary long ago.

    As many of us anxiously await the “end” of the most recent global pandemic one common phrase has stood out among healthcare industry experts as the most detrimental aspect of the recent outbreak: “overwhelming the healthcare system.” In short, overwhelming the healthcare system can be illustrated by imagining the hospitals in our areas completely overrun with so many COVID diagnoses that it affects the ability for facilities to manage and effectively treat regular hospital patients (not spurred by the pandemic) resulting in worsened health outcomes for all. Luckily, we will avoid a blanketed overwhelming scenario in the U.S. due to this pandemic, but that doesn’t relieve the concern of a looming explosion of chronic illness that is likely to take a similar path within the American population.

    An overlay of helathcare system charts from overwhelming chronic illness over basic medical equipment. 

    The Potential Impacts of Overwhelming Chronic Illness on the U.S. Healthcare System

    For the remainder of this post, we’ll isolate one of these chronic illnesses to get an idea of what overwhelming our healthcare system with chronic illness would look like financially. In its various forms, this illness affects, has affected, or will affect approximately 152.3 million Americans. Of those 152.3 million individuals:

    • 68.3 million are currently diagnosed, previously have been diagnosed, or have the disease but have yet to be officially diagnosed
    • 84 million are in a “pre-disease” situation where they are at high risk of being diagnosed or are on a quick path to the fully blown disease
    • 90 percent of those 84 M in the pre-disease stage aren’t even aware they’re at risk 

    To put these numbers into perspective, below is a graph comparing the number of COVID-19 diagnosis in the United States (as of 4/25/20) vs. the aforementioned chronic illness:

    A chart comparing COVID-19 cases to a chronic illness. 

    From sheer diagnosis numbers alone, this chronic illness should appear way more drastic to our hospital system than our current pandemic (obviously, the numbers surrounding COVID are subject to change as we learn more). This would assume that all diagnosed patients end up in our hospital system which isn’t a guarantee. To compensate for that lack of future clinical data, we’ll substitute what we know from a financial aspect on how impactful this chronic disease could be to our HC system. To do this I’m going to use some “creative” arithmetic. Bear with me.

    A Hypothetical Financial Projection

    To try and make this as accurate as possible, we’re going to take inflation into account. To do so, we’ll use the generation markers for Baby Boomers (55 – 76 years old) as a starting point for our projection. The financial data surrounding this chronic illness is largely from 2017 so we’ll use three years of inflation projections to get us into 2020 USD, and then another 21 years of projections to completely age-out the current Baby Boomer population (ending in 2041). 

    From 2017 – 2020 we’ve experienced about $0.05 in inflation. Now, unrealistically, we’re going to assume that every three years we will continue to have a $0.05 inflation hike. This projection would put the U.S. at a $0.35 inflation hike between 2020 and 2041. 

    Now we can apply our existing data. According to an organization specializing in this disease, $327 billion is spent annually to treat those diagnosed. Referencing our population data, those diagnosed represents a small minority of those likely to develop the disease as a whole: 34.2 million diagnoses vs. 152.3 million diagnoses, pre-diagnoses, and former diagnoses. If we can break down our data to represent the cost of an individual diagnosis, we can then scale for inflation and a more accurate financial point to include all of those at risk, not just those who have been officially diagnosed. Here’s the math step by step:

    1. $327 Billion spent in 2017 for all American Diagnoses * 1.05 =  $343.35 Billion USD in 2020 currency (1.05 represents the inflation rate between 2017-2020).
    2. $343.35 Billion (2020 Dollars) * 1.35 = $463.5225 Billion (2041 Dollars – Assuming we see a $0.05 inflation hike every 3 years between 2020 and 2041). 
    3. $463 Billion dollars is a huge chunk of change even on a national scale. What this figure doesn’t include are the pre-diagnosed, un-diagnosed, and formerly diagnosed Americans that are at a higher likelihood to develop or re-develop the disease. This $463 Billion figure represents only 34.2 million of the 152.3 million Americans at risk:
    4. $463,522,500,000 / 34,200,000 diagnosed = $13,553.29 per diagnosis per year. It’s important to keep in mind that these costs are the total impact on the healthcare system.
    5. $13,553.29/diagnosis * 152.3 Million Americans at risk = $2.064 Trillion per year in theoretical financial impact towards the US healthcare system in 2041 for this chronic illness. 

    If you’re still wondering which chronic illness we’ve used to project these outcomes, it’s Diabetes Mellitus. These figures represent solely the cost of treating diabetes itself (insulin, test strip, A1C monitors, physician services, glucose monitors, etc.), not the complications that can stem from the disease. Some common complications are stroke, heart disease, neuropathy, eye and skin complications (like glaucoma and deep skin infections or sepsis), etc.

    These numbers are meant to be staggering. This is a projection for one chronic illness out of hundreds, with hundreds more to be developed or contracted between now and 2041. If our healthcare system was at the brink of being overwhelmed during the COVID pandemic, what capacity can we expect the system to hold for a chronic illness that will affect 197.58 percent more Americans and cost billions if not trillions of dollars? The good news, type II Diabetes (a heavy, heavy majority of diabetes diagnoses statistics) is reversible through proper medication, diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. The bad news? Many other chronic illnesses are not. 

    Steps for a Sustainable Healthcare System

    If this pandemic has shown us some shortfalls within our healthcare system, now is the time to correct them. Individual education and individual ownership of lifestyle choices are immediately impactful changes we can all make to ensure the healthcare system is sustainable for future generations. If we can successfully manage our own health, we won’t need to rely on a potentially ineffective healthcare system. 

    Contact GMS to discuss how we are partnering with local businesses to control and stabilize their healthcare programs for years to come. Our industry experts are prepared to discuss the future of healthcare and how it may affect your business, your employees, and you.

  • With small businesses still feeling the impact of COVID-19, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) is attempting to help employers ease their financial burden. Applications for the NJEDA Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program may be closed, but the organization still has several other initiatives available for Garden State employers. Here’s a breakdown of some various programs and loans that will be available as of May 18, 2020 or in the near future.

    Small Business fund money for organizations in New Jersey. 

    Direct Loans

    If conventional financing is unavailable, NJEDA may provide loans up to $2 million for fixed assets and $750,000 for working capital. To qualify, a business must commit to create or retain one full-time job for every $65,000 of NJEDA exposure within a two-year period.

    Learn more about NJEDA’s direct loans.

    Micro Business Loan Program

    NJEDA’s Micro Business Loan Program allows for-profit businesses in New Jersey to access up to $50,000 for working capital or to purchase equipment. These loans are available to businesses with annual revenues of less than $1,500,000 in the most current fiscal year and have 10 or fewer full-time employees.

    Learn more about the Micro Business Loan Program.

    Small Business Fund

    If you’re struggling to get bank financing, NJEDA’s Small Business Fund offers some financial resources for creditworthy small, minority-owned, or women-owned businesses. The fund offers loans of up to $500,000 for businesses with up to $3 million in revenue. In addition, these businesses must have operated for at least one full year, while not-for-profits require at least three full years in operation.

    Learn more about the Small Business Fund.

    NJ Entrepreneur Support Program

    NJEDA’s Entrepreneur Support Program is a $5 million program aimed to help out entrepreneurial companies impacted by COVID-19 in the Garden State. The program encourages private sector investors to provide continued capital flows to companies they have provided funding to in the past. To help encourage these continued capital flows, NJEDA will guarantee up to 80 percent of the total investment amount, with a cap of $200,000 per company.

    Learn more about the NJ Entrepreneur Support Program.

    Small Business Emergency Assistance Guarantee Program

    NJEDA’s $10 million Small Business Emergency Assistance Program allows qualifying businesses to access working capital loans NJEDA’s existing Premier Lenders or Premier CDFI programs. The program provides 50 percent guarantees on these – along with waived fees – as long as the business or non-profit organization uses them to cover operating expenses while they were impacted by COVID-19. Each qualifying business or organization is eligible to receive relief up to an NJEDA exposure of $100,000.

    Learn more about the Small Business Emergency Assistance Guarantee Program.

    Emergency Technical Assistance Program

    While not a direct relief fund, NJEDA’s $150,000 Emergency Technical Assistance Program is designed to provide technical assistance to New Jersey-based companies applying for other State and U.S. Small Business Administration programs. NJEDA has partnered with four organizations to offer support through this program:

    • African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ)
    • New Jersey State Veterans Chamber of Commerce
    • Rising Tide Capital
    • Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (SHCCNJ)

    As part of the program, the above organizations provide application assistance in a variety of ways, including preparing financial information, packaging application documentation, and other aid. In turn, these organizations will be based on completed and submitted SBA applications for the businesses they’ve helped.

    Learn more about the Emergency Technical Assistance Program.

    —

    Trying to navigate through these uncertain financial times? Contact GMS to talk to one of our experts about any HR, payroll, or other important questions you have today.

  • It’s not easy running a business. In trying times, it becomes even harder. Disasters, pandemics, and other events can wreak havoc on your business. While property damage and other issues can be calculated, it’s difficult to measure the impact these events have on a key element of your business – your employees. 

    Difficult times can have a direct impact on your employees both professionally and personally. Supporting them during these times can help ease your employees’ situation, which can both resonate with your workforce and help improve productivity. Here are five steps you can take to make a difficult situation better for you and your employees.

    An employee working from home during a pandemic.

    Frequent, Clear Communication

    During difficult times, a lack of information will only create bigger problems. It’s important to act as a voice of reason, providing a clear sense of what’s going on at the office, what’s expected of employees, and providing comfort as necessary.

    While disasters, pandemics, and other events may create unusual working situations, good communication can help ease concerns and restore some sense of normalcy. Trying times call for straightforward messages that should be supportive and convey both confidence and security. Be open about the situation, tell them how your business will adapt, and make yourself and other company leaders available for questions. You also want to be very specific about next steps for the company. You may not be able to address everyone’s  concerns immediately communicating these next steps can keep everyone on the same page and eliminate confusion that will only lead to other problems.

    In terms of how to communicate these messages, there are a variety of means at your disposal. Certain channels may be more realistic than others depending on the size and nature of your business, but consider using several of these methods to make sure you can reach everyone in your company.

    • Company-wide and department-level emails
    • Posts on company intranet and internet sites
    • Updates on internal communication apps like Slack or HipChat
    • Video meetings through platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams
    • Personalized emails or texts
    • Signs posted onsite

    Connect with the Team

    While it’s helpful to let employees know that you or a relevant team leader is available for questions, don’t be afraid to take the first step as well if you see individuals who need help. Check in with your employees to see how they’re doing. Even if there’s no update, it’s good to show employees that they’re not alone and that their input is valued.

    It can also be beneficial to try and connect the rest of your team when separated due to disaster, pandemic, or other unexpected reasons. Video conferencing and group chat technology can help employees keep in contact and feel less isolated, so utilizing these means for business meetings or even social events like work happy hours can help improve morale in trying times.

    Mitigate Risks if Necessary

    While clear communication plays a big role in easing concerns, it’s also important to take any necessary actions as well. This includes taking measures to let your employees know that you’re taking their safety seriously. 

    Mitigating risks can take many different forms depending on the nature of your business. For a pandemic, this could involve providing facemasks, creating hand-washing stations, and adding measures to enforce social distancing. For a disaster, it could mean fixing any property damage and putting in additional safeguards, such as reinforced windows or other preventative means. Safety training can also educate employees on ways to protect themselves while showing your support for their wellbeing.

    Create Flexible Working Situations

    In a time when people may be worried about working in close proximity or need to be closer to their loved ones, a little flexibility can go a long way. If employees are concerned about coming into work, consider letting them work from home if it’s feasible. You could also loosen up restrictions on work hours so that employees could shape their schedules around personal needs. Not only can these accommodations help create a more family-friendly working environment, it can help alleviate anxiety for any concerned employees.

    Don’t Rush a Return to “Normal”

    After an event changes the way you do business, it can be tempting to try and get everything back to normal as soon as possible. However, it’s important not to force the situation until you reach a point where you can return to business as usual. 

    A disaster, pandemic, or some other trying event is a stressful, even traumatizing time for you and your business. Rushing everyone back in the office before you’re ready can lead to unfocused, upset employees who won’t be able to do their jobs appropriately. It’s best to take everything one step at a time until you can finally return to normal working conditions.

    Difficult times make hard choices even harder. Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate through these decisions alone. As a PEO, Group Management Services can take the administrative burden off your shoulders and provide guidance through pandemics, disasters, and other events. Contact GMS today to talk to one of our experts about how we can support both you and your employees.

  • 2020 has brought an abundance of challenges to people all over the world. It seems that when we think that things can’t get any worse, we are hit with another obstacle. With all the uncertainty, lost jobs, illness, and lack of toilet paper, it’s easy to say that this year has been anything but a smooth ride. 

    Overall, this year and pandemic has taken a major toll on many people’s mental health and well-being. It is so important now more than ever to be aware of your employee’s health and be sure they are given the necessary resources to live as stress free as possible. 

    An employee relaxing to help support mental health in the workplace. 

    COVID-19’s Impact on Employees’ Mental Health

    The stress of COVID-19 has caused a great amount of fear to more aspects of people’s lives other than just catching the virus. Individuals are losing jobs and becoming financially unstable, graduating college students are being thrown into one of the worst job markets, death rates from the virus are increasing by the day, and people who quarantine are missing social interaction with friends and family. 

    Below is a list of just some of the mental health statistics in America.

    • In late June 2020, 40 percent of adults in the U.S. stated that they have been struggling with mental health issues or substance abuse. (CDC)
    • The rate of moderate to severe anxiety peaked in September of 2020, with over eight in 10 people who took an anxiety screen scoring with moderate to severe symptoms. (Mental Health America)
    • An estimated 26 percent of Americans ages 18 and older – about one in four adults – suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. (John Hopkins Medicine)

    What Employers Can Do to Support Employees’ Mental Health

    Many individuals may feel stressed or pressured to go into their work facilities or offices. There are multiple ways for employers to take care of their employees during these difficult times.

    Create a system of support and trust

    Let your employees know that you are there for them and form a sense of trust. One of the issues people face is not knowing where to turn in times of hardship. Being open and transparent with your employees can give them the opportunity to search for help before things become too overwhelming for them.

    Provide your employees with resources

    It is absolutely necessary for all employees to have access to beneficial resources to educate them and help them cope with mental health issues. Some examples of helpful websites are the American Psychological Association, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, and the CDC. These sites all include information on a variety of mental health issues as well as ways to improve symptoms and live a healthier life. Also, your company’s HR departments should consider providing an Employee Assistance Program for all employees, with access to licensed professionals. 

    Create a healthy work environment

    Employees can feel less stressed or anxious at work if the environment is positive. Have casual conversations with them and get to know them on a personal level. Also, have biweekly or monthly check-ins to see how your employees are feeling or if they are having any additional stress in their life. Form a culture that is inviting, happy, and supportive.

    Hold mental health trainings

    The best way to inform all employees to be aware of mental health is having all-office trainings. Educating your company on what mental health is, what the warning signs are, and how to take care of themselves and others can make a huge difference. This can help prevent issues further down the line and reassure others that it is ok to struggle with mental health.

    If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental illness, reach out to your primary care provider. For emergencies, contact the SAMHSA National Help Line at 1-800-662-HELP.

  • As an employer, it can be difficult to balance the desire to return to business and maintain a safe operation. Unfortunately, there’s not necessarily an exact answer as to how to approach reopening your business during a pandemic. While there are some rules and regulations, many details can be unclear or depend on your location, the nature of your business, and a plethora of other reasons. To help, we broke down some key factors you should consider when it’s time to reopen your business or expand operations.

    A man with a face covering after his small business returned to work. 

    Is My Region Ready for My Business to Reopen?

    It’s important to identify if your community is in a good position before you attempt to reopen your business. The White House’s Guidelines for Opening Up America Again recommends a phased approach to reopening businesses to help slow the spread of COVID-19. These guidelines suggest a few general state or regional criteria for relaxing restrictions based on certain factors within your community.

    • There should be a downward trajectory of both influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and COVID-like syndromic cases reported within a 14-day period.
    • There should be either a downward trajectory of documented cases within a 14-day period or a downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period (flat or increasing volume of tests).
    • Regional hospitals should be able to treat all patients without crisis care
    • There should be a robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including emerging antibody testing.

    While the factors listed above are solid guidelines for a safer return, it’s important to note that these are not mandates. Each state is able to independently manage COVID-19 regulations, so you’ll need to double-check local laws and rulings for any specific regulations. 

    The Three Phases for Reopening Your Business

    If your state does allow for your business to reopen, consider taking a multi-phase approach to resuming operations. This method can help you reopen your business in different stages to help keep you, your employees, and your clientele safe while you get back to business.

    Phase one

    The first phase focuses on making telework available to any employees who do not need to be onsite to complete their duties. If you maintain a regular place of business, you should close off any common areas to prevent anyone other than employees who must be on location. In addition to allowing for remote work, businesses in phase one should also minimize nonessential travel.

    Phase two

    After going through phase one long enough for another two-week decline in cases, guidelines indicate that businesses can shift to phase two. Businesses should have an accommodation plan for vulnerable employees in place at this point. 

    Employees who cannot work from home are allowed to return to the workplace as long as they follow proper safety protocol. Social distancing measures must be enforced, but businesses can ease limitations on the number of people in a space.

    Phase three

    Advancement to phase three requires another two-week decline in cases at the previous stage. Once in phase three, employers can resume unrestricted staffing of worksites. However, businesses in this phase should maintain social distancing guidelines where possible and are recommended to approach public interaction very carefully.

    What to Address When Reopening Your Business

    When it’s time to return to work, it’s important to weigh many factors that can impact you and your employees. According to the CDC, any plan to reopen your business should meet the following criteria:

    • Be specific to your workplace.
    • Identify all areas and job tasks with potential exposures to COVID-19.
    • Include control measures to eliminate or reduce such exposures.

    To meet these standards, you’ll need to address some key elements before you reopen your business.

    Hazard assessment

    As you plan for a return to work, it’s critical to assess potential hazards to you and your employees and take measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. The following practices can help you identify potential risk factors and keep your workforce safe.

    A thorough hazard assessment should be completed before any employees return to work on company premises. Various locations and job duties can create hazards specific to your business. It’s imperative to pinpoint potential problem areas and determine what can be done to protect people in those positions. The CDC suggests using the following hierarchy of controls to implement feasible and effective control solutions.

    1. Elimination – Physically remove the hazard
    2. Substitution – Replace the hazard
    3. Engineering controls – Isolate people from the hazard
    4. Administrative controls – Change the way people work
    5. PPE – Protect the worker with Personal Protective Equipment

    This hierarchy represents the most to least effective means of eliminating exposure risks in the workplace. For example, if a specific hazard forced employees to work in close quarters, the removal of that hazard is the most effective way to eliminate the risk. Of course, elimination or substitution isn’t always practical or even feasible. Instead, use the hierarchy to identify the best, most realistic method to lessen exposure risks and enact those preventative measures.

    Social distancing measures

    One effective control solution is to enable practices that help employees and potential clientele to maintain a safe distance during work. Six-foot spacing is the expected standard, so consider the following steps to promote social distancing standards in the workplace.

    • Post signage that everyone – employees, customers, and visitors included – should maintain at least a six-foot distance from each other.
    • Add directional signs for hallways and other spaces where six-foot spacing restricts movement.
    • Mark floors, counters, and more with tape or signs to create clear spaces for where employees and/or customers should stand to maintain social distancing.
    • Limit occupancy to help provide additional space for employees, customers, and visitors to prevent overcrowding and improper distancing.
    • Implement teleworking capabilities to allow people to work from home
    • Modify the work area to create more physical space between employees.
    • Close certain spaces – such as common areas – where people congregate or are too small for social distancing measures.

    Improve workplace hygiene

    Once you’ve taken steps to assess potential exposure risks and enact social distancing measures, it’s time to identify ways to implement improved hygiene standards. There are a variety of practices that employers can enact to help maintain a healthy environment and keep workspaces clean.

    • Keep soap, water, hand wipes, and paper towels available for employees, customers, and visitors to wash their hands.
    • Encourage frequent hand washing and post instructions on how to properly wash hands at all sinks or other washing stations.
    • Provide hand sanitizer – ideally with touchless dispensers – with at least 60 percent alcohol and stress to employees the importance of using it.
    • Educate employees about proper CDC sneezing and coughing practices.
    • Place no-touch trash cans and other receptacles around the premises.
    • Prohibit handshaking.
    • Discourage workers from using other employees’ desks, phones, supplies, and any other work tools and equipment.
    • Identify high-traffic areas and commonly touched surfaces that require regular cleaning and disinfection.
    • Routinely clean surfaces and higher-traffic areas in the workplace with an EPA-approved disinfectant.

    Create practices to identify and address exposed or ill employees

    Another key step toward reopening is to create a plan for employees affected by COVID-19. These policies should cover workers who may currently be sick or who show symptoms while at work.

    Have sick employees stay home

    If an employee may be sick – or live with someone who is sick – play it safe and have them stay away from work. Stress to employees that they should remain at home and notify their supervisor if they feel sick or have noticed any symptoms for COVID-19. Have employees evaluate themselves for potential symptoms before heading to work. In addition, provide them with a link to the CDC’s steps for individuals who may have COVID-19. These employees should stay away from work until they or their family members meet the CDC’s guidelines to discontinue home isolation and are cleared by a healthcare professional. 

    Consider conducting daily in-person or virtual health checks

    One way to help limit potential exposure is to conduct site temperature checks, symptom questionnaires, or other forms of health screening while at work. Neither the OSH Act nor OSHA standards prevent employers from testing employees for COVID-19 as long as this testing is done in a transparent, non-retaliatory manner.

    Personnel who conduct these screenings should wear PPE or some other level of protection. It is also not necessary to make a record of temperature checks and other details – screeners can simply acknowledge readings then and there. If you choose to document these records, you’ll want to retain them and keep them confidential as you would any other document covered under the Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records standard.

    Separate sick employees and send them home

    It’s critical to have a policy in place for any employees who fail a screening or become ill while in the workplace. This protocol should include details about how and where to isolate sick employees if they are unable to leave immediately. For employees who use public transportation or are otherwise unable to take themselves home or to a healthcare facility, have a procedure in place to provide them with safe transport. 

    Once the affected individual leaves, all spaces that person has touched or otherwise occupied should be cleaned and disinfected to prevent possible exposure to others. Use the CDC’s cleaning and disinfection recommendations to prepare areas for future use.

    • Clean dirty surfaces with soap and water before disinfecting them.
    • Disinfect surfaces with products that meet EPA criteria for use against SARS-Cov-2 and are appropriate for the surface.
    • Always wear gloves and gowns appropriate for the chemicals being used when you are cleaning and disinfecting.
    • Wear additional PPE depending on the setting and disinfectant product you are using. For each product you use, consult and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use.

    Create a return to work policy for workers who dealt with illness or exposure

    Make sure to have some guidelines in place before an employee returns to company premises after isolation. To start, employees should use the following CDC recommendations to know when to discontinue isolation.

    • At least 10 days have passed since symptom onset.
    • At least 24 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.
    • Other symptoms have improved.

    Once the affected employee is ready to return, have that employee routinely perform self-monitoring in addition to any workplace screenings required.

    List and install various controls and safe work practices

    Before you open back up for business, you should document and implement the different measures taken to protect employees from exposure in the workplace. These measures should include different engineering and administrative controls, safe work practices, PPEs, and other regulations.

    Engineering controls for COVID-19

    There are multiple engineering controls that can help isolate employees from potential work-related hazards. These controls typically involve improving or altering worksites to reduce the chances of exposure. Certain engineering controls are more feasible than others, but the following options can help you improve the overall safety of your business.

    • Improve ventilation rates in working environments and disable demand-controlled ventilation (DCV).
    • Install high-efficiency air filters.
    • Keep ventilation systems running longer hours, perhaps even all day, to enhance air exchanges in the building space.
    • Mount physical barriers such as clear plastic guard walls and sneeze guards between work stations, places with employee/customer interaction, and other spaces.
    • Add a drive-through window or some other means of distancing for customer service.
    • Move electronic payment reader away from cashier.
    • Remove or rearrange furniture and other items to increase space and maneuverability.
    • Review the safety of your building water system and devices after a prolonged shutdown.

    Administrative controls

    While engineering controls alter your work spaces, administrative controls are changes to work policies that impact employees. Adjusting certain procedures can help limit the odds of exposure and give employees not only a safer work environment, but also some peace of mind to allow them to focus on their jobs and personal lives. Consider instituting some of the following administrative controls when it’s time to return to work.

    • Create communication plans and invest in online teleconferencing or chat platforms to give employees the means to communicate away from the office and address any concerns.
    • Evaluate existing policies and, if needed, implement new ones that provide additional flexibility and use of telework, types of leave, and other options to help employees minimize exposure risks.
    • Replace in-person meetings with virtual communications to minimize contact among employees, clients, and customers.
    • Offer work hour flexibility, alternating days, or staggered shifts to limit the number of employees in the same location at the same time.
    • Limit, or even discontinue, nonessential travel.
    • Limit capacity for break rooms.
    • Mandate employees wear cloth face masks and other appropriate face coverings if PPE is not required.
    • Provide employees with up-to-date education on COVID-19 risk factors and training for protective behaviors, such as how to wear protective clothing, proper care, etc.

    PPEs

    As an employer, you are obligated to provide employees with the proper PPE required to keep them safe as they complete their duties. Gloves, goggles, face shields, face masks, and respiratory protection are all forms of PPE that may be required depending on an employee’s duties. Before you reopen your business, you should assess which PPE is required for every employee based on specific job duties and the hazards faced in that role. In addition, PPE should be provided at no cost to the employees. According to OSHA, the PPE supplied to your employees should be:

    • Selected based upon the hazard to the worker.
    • Properly fitted and periodically refitted, as applicable (e.g., respirators).
    • Consistently and properly worn when required.
    • Regularly inspected, maintained, and replaced, as necessary.
    • Properly removed, cleaned, and stored or disposed of, as applicable, to avoid contamination of self, others, or the environment.

    Don’t Prepare for the Future Alone

    Running a successful business isn’t easy during normal times – figuring out how to safely reopen during a pandemic is a different challenge altogether. There are multiple factors that impact the ability to reopen your business in a safe and compliant manner, and only so much time for you and your team to determine the right course of action for your company.

    While reopening your business is a frenzied experience, you don’t have to go through the process by yourself. At GMS, our experts can help guide you through difficult decisions and take the administrative burden off your shoulders as you lead your business through a critical endeavor. Contact GMS today to find out how we can help you make your business simpler, safer, and stronger.