NY Reopening Update From Brian Sampson

During yesterday’s press conference, Governor Cuomo announced that three (3) of the states 10 regions are ready to open on Friday. They are the Mohawk Valley, Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions. These areas have hit the benchmarks established by the Governor in order to re-open. As a reminder, you can see the requirements in the following picture:

The question now becomes what about the other regions? When will they meet the requirements? In reviewing all of the data, it would appear that every region should be headed to Phase 1 by the end of the month. You can see the four phases outlined below but specifics related to Phase One can be found at this link .

As these regions re-open, there will requirements that business must follow and steps to adhere to that will keep people safe and hopefully curtail the spread of the virus. Those details, like the topics above, can be found in the picture below. Businesses in those regions will also have to attest that they’ve developed a plan and will need to have that plan on location should a public official request to see it. The Chapter will be hosting a webinar on Thursday where our Statewide Safety Director, Jason Ashlaw, will outline for you aspects of the plan you should consider. You can register for the webinar HERE.

As an industry, all eyes will be on us to make sure we’re complying with the new rules and regulations.  We, ABC, fought hard to keep as much construction as possible as essential. I think we succeeded. We, as an industry, fought equally as hard to make sure that all construction returned first. That’s happening. Now everything shifts to you. 

We know that you, our members, care deeply about utilizing the best safety practices and principals to keep your companies, your employees, and your projects safe. Our members, according to our survey, when compared to New York BLS averages, are more than 450% safer than the industry as it relates to DART and TRIR measurements. That’s impressive. 

We need to continue to push for better safety. We need to make sure the industry holds itself accountable. Should that not happen, we will see the state rollback construction again. 

Let’s be the leaders we’ve always been. Let’s lead through our actions and drive better results across all industries.

We’re almost there! Let’s do this the right way, keep everyone safe, and STOMP OUT COVID-19!

Brian Sampson

Are you Ready for Return of the Office Staff?

When: May 12, 2020 01:00 PM- 2:00 PM

Join ABC’s Statewide Director of Safety, Jason Ashlaw, in a webinar to discuss the guidelines for plans and procedures to return your office staff back to work. The guidelines are intended to protect the overall health, safety and well-being of office employees and office visitors.

Register in advance for this webinar:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Construction is Essential. Is Your Safety Plan Ready?

When: May 14, 2020 01:00 PM-2:00 PM

Join ABC’s Jason Ashlaw in a webinar to discuss the safety policies and procedures when you go back to work. These guidelines for health and safety plans will give you guidance for a safe and effective performance

during the phase-in of construction during this COVID-19 era.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Onboarding That Works

When: May 19, 2020 12:00 PM

Join ABC Empire Chapter member, SimcoHR's Jack Spike in a webinar discussing the new concepts in orientation and onboarding while following effective onboarding practices. Learn about designing a system and the role of performance management.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Missed a webinar? Click below for our library of recordings

Employee Retention Tax Credit Revised Guidance and New Legislation Introduced

The IRS recently reversed its previous guidance and will now allow employers to treat qualified health expenses as qualified wages under the COVID Employee Retention Credit. You can view more on the IRS FAQs here.

Helpful Tip of the Day – Recent USDOL Action:

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has added new frequently asked questions connected to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The list now includes 93 questions and answers.

New at the CDC

We encourage you to promote this initiative!