Cutting Edge October 2020

October 1, 2020

in Cutting Edge,

News and Ideas to Keep Your Business on

The Cutting Edge

October 2020

Calendar of Events

2020

October 8-9:

Operations Manager Roundtable

(Virtual)

October 9, 9:30am:

Coffee Session 1: The Dark Mocha - 10 Best Interview Questions

(Virtual)

October 15-16:

CFO Roundtable

(Virtual)

October 20:

Roundtable 3

(Virtual)

October 22:

Sales Manager Roundtable

(Virtual)

October 28-30:

Roundtable 7

October 30, 9:30am:

Coffee Session 2:

The Venti Cappuccino - Fleet Technology Panel

(Virtual)

November 5:

Roundtable 5

(Virtual)

Nov. 6, 9:30am:

Coffee Session 3: The Bold Java - Bring Your Brick & Mortar Store Online, Here’s How.

(Virtual)

Nov. 13 9:30am:

Coffee Sessions 4: The Creamy Espresso - Time and Priority Management

(Virtual)

November 17:

Purchasing Mgr RT

(Virtual)

February 3-4:

2021 Annual Learning Exchange & LBM Expo

(Hickory, NC)

DOL Issues Revised Regulations on

COVID-19 Paid Leave Benefits

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has issued revised regulations to the paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The revisions made by the new rule clarify workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities under the FFCRA’s paid leave provisions, in light of a recent U.S. District Court decision that found portions of the regulations invalid. The new regulations went into effect on Wednesday, September 16.

The revisions do the following:

Reaffirms that paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave may be taken only if the employee has work from which to take leave. It clarifies that this requirement applies to all qualifying reasons to take paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave.
Reaffirms and provides additional explanation for the requirement that an employee have employer approval to take FFCRA leave intermittently.
Revises the definition of “healthcare provider” to include only employees who meet the definition of that term under the Family and Medical Leave Act regulations or who are employed to provide diagnostic services, preventative services, treatment services or other services that are integrated with and necessary to the provision of patient care which, if not provided, would adversely impact patient care.
Clarifies that employees must provide required documentation supporting their need for FFCRA leave to their employers “as soon as practicable,” rather than “prior to” taking paid sick or family leave.
Clarifies that advanced notice of expanded family and medical leave is required “as soon as practicable.” If the need for leave is foreseeable, that will generally mean providing notice before taking leave. For example, if an employee learns on Monday morning before work that his or her child’s school will close on Tuesday due to COVID-19 related reasons, the employee must notify his or her employer as soon as practicable (likely on Monday at work). If the need for expanded family and medical leave was not foreseeable—for instance, if that employee learns of the school’s closure on Tuesday after reporting for work—the employee may begin to take leave without giving prior notice but must still give notice as soon as practicable.

For any questions, please contact Director of Government Affairs Kevin McKenney at kevin@dealer.org.

(Source: NLDBMA E-Update, Sept. 2020)

CDC Issues Updated Guidance for Critical Infrastructure Workers

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released updated guidance for critical infrastructure workers who may have been exposed to COVID-19. To ensure continuity of operations of essential functions, CDC advises that critical infrastructure workers may be permitted to continue work following potential exposure to COVID-19, provided they remain asymptomatic and additional precautions are implemented to protect them and the community.

A potential exposure means being a household contact or having close contact within 6 feet of an individual with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. The timeframe for having contact with an individual includes the period of time of 48 hours before the individual became symptomatic.

Critical Infrastructure workers who have had an exposure but remain asymptomatic should adhere to the following practices prior to and during their work shift:

Pre-Screen: Employers should measure the employee’s temperature and assess symptoms prior to them starting work. Ideally, temperature checks should happen before the individual enters the facility.
Regular Monitoring: As long as the employee doesn’t have a fever or symptoms, they should self-monitor under the supervision of their employer’s occupational health program.
Wear a Mask: The employee should wear a face mask at all times while in the workplace for 14 days after last exposure. Employers can issue face masks or can approve employees’ supplied cloth face coverings in the event of shortages.
Social Distance: The employee should maintain 6 feet and practice social distancing as work duties permit in the workplace
Disinfect and Clean work spaces: Clean and disinfect all areas such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment routinely.

(Source: NLDBMA E-Update, Sept. 2020)

Did You Miss It? No Worries!

Last week, BMSA hosted our first Building Material Financial Basics Seminar for Beginner & Intermediate Managers. The recorded version of the session is now available for purchase!

Equip your rising managers with the skills they need to make knowledgeable financial business decisions. This course covers: Inventory Turns, Cash Flow, Profitability & Growth.

Thank you to our session sponsor Blue Tarp Financial!

Order your copy today by emailing Kelly at kellyf@mybmsa.org

Cost: $125 – pricing includes the slide deck and 3.5 hours of recorded instruction

House Passes Revised COVID-19 Relief Bill

Recently, the House of Representatives passed a revised “Phase 4” COVID-19 stimulus bill by a vote of 214-207. The legislation totals $2.2 trillion and addresses several areas of COVID-19 relief including supplemental unemployment insurance, expansion of the employee retention tax credit, renewal of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), state and local government aid, and direct payments to individuals. The bill is $1 trillion less than the House’s first Phase 4 proposal passed last May. A full summary of the legislation is below.

All House Republicans voted against the legislation along with 18 Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) opposes the House bill and it is not expected to receive a vote in the Senate. Negotiations between the White House and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) took place throughout the last week of September but both sides are still far apart on a final Phase 4 bill. There remain significant disagreements over employer liability protections, supplemental unemployment insurance, and financial aid to state and local governments.

The text of the bill can be found here. A one-pager on the legislation is here. A section-by-section summary is here.

For questions, please contact Director of Government Affairs Kevin McKenney at kevin@dealer.org.

(Source: NLMBDA Member Alert, Oct. 2020)

BWC Board Approves $1.5 Billion

For Ohio Employers

The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) Board of Directors recently approved Governor Mike DeWine’s proposal to send Ohio employers up to $1.5 billion in dividends to ease the impact of COVID-19 on Ohio’s economy and business community.

BWC will start sending checks to up to 200,000 private and public employers in its system in late October after first applying the dividend to any unpaid balances. The dividend follows a similar dividend in April, where the average check size was $8,500.

“Thank you to the BWC Board of Directors for approving a second round of dividends for Ohio employers,” said Governor DeWine. “The pandemic continues to impact businesses across Ohio, and we hope that this next round of dividends provides financial relief.”

The dividend equals 100% of the premium employers paid in policy year 2019. As in prior years, the dividend is possible because of strong investment returns on employer premiums, a declining number of claims each year, and prudent fiscal management.

“We’re grateful our strong fiscal position allows us to assist our business community during these unprecedented times,” said BWC Administrator/CEO Stephanie McCloud. “However, this means in all likelihood we will not issue a dividend in 2021.”

Of BWC’s $1.54 billion dividend in April, $1.35 billion went to private employers and $184 million went to local government taxing districts, such as counties, cities, townships, and school districts.

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about the dividend.

(Source: Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation News Release September 25, 2020)

President Trump Rescinds

10% Tariff on Canadian Aluminum

The Trump Administration recently rescinded the 10% tariff on non-alloyed unwrought aluminum from Canada that was originally levied on August 16. The decision came after the Canadian government threatened retaliatory tariffs on U.S. aluminum imports. In their announcement, the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said they had determined that trade in non-alloyed, unwrought aluminum is likely to normalize in the last four months of 2020 and duties were no longer needed.

USTR said they will consult with the Canadian government at the end of the year to review the state of the aluminum trade in light of trade patterns during the four-month period and expected market conditions in 2021.

(Source: NLDBMA E-Update, Sept. 2020)