GRA Weekly

August 15, 2024

This week's newsletter is brought to you by GRA Corporate Partner, Society Insurance

2024 GRACE AWARDS GALA - DECEMBER 9

GRACE Awards Nominations Are Now Open!

The Georgia Restaurant Association Crystal of Excellence (GRACE) Awards return to honor the best and brightest in Georgia’s restaurant industry on Monday, December 9. Nominations are open in numerous categories honoring those who have exhibited exceptional hospitality during the year.

Peer-nominated award categories include:

Lifetime Achievement
Restaurateur of the Year
Restaurateur Rookie of the Year
Industry Partner of the Year
Hospitality Hero of the Year
Restaurant Manager of the Year
Restaurant Employee of the Year
"Georgia On My Mind" People’s Choice Awards featuring four award categories: Favorite Neighborhood Hangout, Favorite Born and Raised Beverage, Favorite Eatertainment Experience and Uniquely Georgia. These awards are nominated and voted on by the Georgia restaurant community including guests, employees, suppliers and vendors.

Nominations can be submitted online until September 20. Finalists will be announced by end of September. Winners will be announced during the GRACE Awards Gala on Monday, December 9 at the Georgia Aquarium. To sponsor the awards gala, please contact Sarah Thorson.

Early Bird Pricing // August 15 – September 11

Individual (2 tickets) $600

Table (10 tickets) $2,500

Regular Registration // September 12 – October 31

Individual (2 tickets) $750

Table (10 tickets) $3,000

Late Registration // November 1 – December 2

Individual (2 tickets) $900

Table (10 tickets) $3,500

IRS RELIEF NOW AVAILABLE TO HURRICANE DEBBY VICTIMS

IRS Relief Now Available to Hurricane Debby Victims in Parts of Georgia

The Internal Revenue Service today announced tax relief for individuals and businesses in four states affected by Hurricane Debby.

Affected taxpayers in South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia now have until Feb. 3, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.The IRS is offering relief to any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Learn more.

FREE TEMPLATES TO HELP MANAGE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS

Free Templates to Help Manage Your Small Business

Are you searching for free templates to help you manage your business? SBA resource partner SCORE has you covered. SCORE has a variety of templates on topics such as financials, marketing, business plans and more.

Learn more.

USCIS EXTENDS FORM I-9 EXPIRATION DATE

USCIS Extends Form I-9 Expiration Date

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated the Form I-9 to extend the expiration date to 05/31/2027.

Employers must use the Form I-9 with the edition date of 08/1/23, which may have an expiration date of either 07/31/2026 or 05/31/2027. Either form may be used until its respective expiration date. Downloads available on the Form I-9 download page will only include the new 05/31/2027 expiration date. Read more.

UNDERSTANDING REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE

Understanding Reputational Damage and How to Protect Your Business

In July, cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike initiated software updates that crashed the systems of millions of businesses—including hospitals, airlines and banks—worldwide that were using Microsoft Windows. While some businesses recovered quickly from the crash and resumed operations, some such as Delta Air Lines suffered significant financial loss and reputational damage when it left passengers stranded at airports around the world.

While the long-term effects of the crash remain to be seen, this event... continue reading.

HEALTH CARE HQ WEBINAR

Exploring Employee Wellness Benefits: A Member Exclusive Webinar

When: Tuesday, August 27 at 2:00PM

Join the team at The National Restaurant Association for a member-exclusive webinar! Unlock the potential of our Health and Wellness Portfolio by discussing benefits available to our members, including:

Exclusive offerings for employer-sponsored insurance through UnitedHealthcare
Complimentary access to HealthMarkets for personalized plan sourcing
Advantages of Optum Perks
A cost-effective bundle from Teladoc

FEDERAL UPDATE

NLRB Drops Joint Employer Appeal

What Happened: The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has officially dismissed its appeal of the Eastern District of Texas decision vacating the 2023 Joint Employer Rule. The 2020 Final Rule, which requires direct and immediate control to establish a joint employer relationship, remains in effect.

Why it Matters: The NLRB's decision to drop its appeal is a significant win for the Restaurant Law Center (RLC), a leading co-plaintiff in the legal challenge against the 2023 Rule, and the industry as a whole.

The RLC-supported 2020 Rule provides clear guidance for employers.
We remain vigilant against future attempts by the NLRB and the Administration to expand joint employer liability.
Go Deeper: For more information, please see the attached press release.

New Federal Overtime Standards Take Effect

The U.S. Department of Labor has updated regulations to extend overtime pay eligibility to salaried restaurant employees earning up to $43,888 annually, a change expected to affect about 1M additional workers across various industries, with further increases in the threshold planned. A business coalition that includes the National Restaurant Association’s legal arm and the Texas Restaurant Association had filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court to halt adoption of the new overtime standard. Learn more.

OSHA Proposes New Heat Illness Prevention Rule

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a proposed rule outlining steps employers would be required to take to protect indoor and outdoor workers from the risk of heat illness.

This rule applies to all employers conducting outdoor and indoor work, with limited exceptions.
Public comments are due 120 days after it is posted in the Federal Register.

Overview of the Proposed Rule: The National Restaurant Association (NRA) is analyzing the rule. Employer requirements include:

Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (HIIPP): Develop and implement a plan with site-specific information to evaluate and control heat hazards.
Initial Heat Trigger Control Measures (80°F heat index): Provide cool drinking water, break areas with cooling measures, indoor work area controls, acclimatization protocols for new and returning employees, paid rest breaks if needed, and regular effective communication.
High Heat Trigger Control Measures (90°F heat index): Mandatory rest breaks of 15 minutes every two hours, observation for signs and symptoms of heat-related illness, a hazard alert, and warning signs at indoor work areas with ambient temperatures that regularly exceed 120°F.
Emergency Response Plan: Develop a heat emergency response plan and take steps if an employee is experiencing signs of heat-related illness.
Training Requirements: Provide initial and annual refresher training for supervisors, heat safety coordinators, and employees.
Recordkeeping Obligations: Maintain records of indoor monitoring data for at least six months.
Cost-Free Implementation: Ensure all requirements are implemented at no cost to employees.

Next Steps:

Review the Proposed Rule: Assess its potential impact on your operations.
Provide Feedback: Because this is the first-ever nationwide heat standard, it's essential for the restaurant industry to weigh in. Please share your insights and concerns with the Association as we draft comments to submit to OSHA. Additionally, we encourage operators to submit comments once the rule is published in the Federal Register.

For More Information:

RESTAURANT LEGAL SUMMIT

8th Annual Restaurant Legal Summit

Join the Restaurant Law Center this October 23-25 for the 8th Annual Restaurant Legal Summit in San Juan, Puerto Rico! Learn and connect with other industry chief legal officers, attorneys, and human resource professionals. In addition to meeting senior representatives from some of the industry’s most successful brands, attendees get access to the latest information on current trends and best practices from legal experts at some of the nation’s top law firms.

QSR EVOLUTION CONFERENCE & NEXTGEN RESTAURANT SUMMIT

QSR Evolution Conference & NextGen Restaurant Summit - Register Today!

The QSR Evolution Conference will focus on the needs of quick-service restaurant operators where industry leaders will hear and share perspectives on running QSRs of the future. Educational sessions focus on growth and franchising, leadership, technology, digital marketing trends, company culture, drive-thru and the changing consumer.

The NextGen Restaurant Summit is geared toward nextgen and emerging full-service brand operators. Topics covered during educational sessions cover unique restaurant experiences of the future, F&B innovation, technology, restaurant design, menu engineering and labor and employment.

When: September 4-5, 2024

Where: Atlanta Marriott Marquis

Keynote presentations will be provided by:

Burger King
Firehouse Subs
GoTo Foods
Inspire Brands
KFC
Popeyes
Tim Hortons
...and more!

As a partner of the event, we secured a discount for GRA members to attend. Use code GRA10 at checkout to save 10% on your full conference pass which will grant you access to all sessions and included receptions of the event.