GRA Weekly

October 6, 2022

This week's newsletter is brought to you by GRA Allied Member, Archatrak.

UPCOMING REGIONAL ALLIANCE MEETINGS

TEEN EMPLOYMENT SCHEDULES

New legislation aims to lift restrictions on teen employee schedules

The Teenagers Earning Everyday Necessary Skills (TEENS) Act would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to expand working hours for teens ages 14–16, allowing them to work between the hours of 7AM and 9PM all year and increasing to 24 the number of workable hours during a school week. Read more.

SBA ROUNDTABLE

SBA Advocacy Roundtable on NLRB's Proposed Rule on Joint Employer Standard

The Office of Advocacy will host a virtual roundtable to discuss the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) proposed rule on the standard for determining joint-employer status under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The roundtable will take place on Thursday, October 20, 2022, from 1-2:30PM (ET). The purpose of the roundtable is to gather specific small entity input on the proposed rule. NLRB staff have been invited to provide a briefing of this proposed rule.

RSVPs should be sent to Janis.Reyes@sba.gov. Roundtable participation details will be provided upon receipt of RSVP.

GRA ADVOCACY UPDATE

The GRA Advocacy Team is pleased to announce Scott Bierman as our new Director of Government Affairs. Over the past month, Scott and Daniel New, Director of Local Advocacy, continued to meet with candidates and current elected officials to thank them for their support of our industry and discuss issues we continue to face. If you have any questions as we prepare for the 2023 Legislative Session, you can contact Scott here.

We would like to extend a special thank you to Georgia Senate President Pro Tempore Butch Miller, Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts, and City of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens for their support of the GRA and attendance at our annual GRACE Awards Gala.

FEDERAL UPDATES

Federal Reserve issues final debit card transaction rule

Monday, the Federal Reserve Board finalized a debit card regulation that requires debit card issuers to enable at least two unaffiliated networks to process debit card transactions—including “card not present (CNP)” or online payments. For more than a year, the Association advocated on this issue before the Federal Reserve and Congress.

What this means for restaurants: In a win for restaurants, the final rule injects more competition in the debit card transaction processing network, giving restaurants more payment processing options, which could help reduce swipe fees. Read more.

White House proposes sodium, sugar, marketing changes

At the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health last week, the Biden Administration proposed changes to the federal government’s position on sugar, sodium, and marketing to children—all of which would affect restaurants. These specific proposals are part of the Biden Administration’s broader National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.

What this means for restaurants: The Association’s participation in the conference ensures that restaurants have a voice in nutrition- and health-related policy discussions to help inform the federal government’s strategy.

OUTDOOR DINING

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION TOOLS

The 2022 DEI Report: Diversity matters to your employees. How important is it to you? Sponsored by American Express.

The Association’s landmark 2022 report on diversity, equity and inclusion in the hospitality industry reveals a major gap between how diverse and inclusive enterprises think they are and what their employees actually experience. It’s clear a genuine DEI culture enhances retention. Join us as Susan Crystal-Mansour, PhD, talks through the DEI disconnect and its impact.

Tuesday, October 11 | 2:00PM