The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association has been communicating directly with manufacturers across Illinois as the situation changes and will continue posting resources online at the IMA’s dedicated page
www.ima-net.org/covid-19
/
.
The U.S. Department of Labor announced that businesses will not have to consider confirmed cases of COVID-19 as recordable incidents for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) record keeping purposes
unless
the case (1) Is confirmed as a COVID-19 illness; (2) Is determined to be
work-related
as defined by 29 CFR 1904.5; and (3) Involves one or more of the general recording criteria in 29 CFR 1904.7, such as medical treatment beyond first aid or days away from work.
OSHA also noted that determining whether a worker contracted COVID-19 while performing work duties is difficult given ongoing community spread, and in light of those difficulties, OSHA is exercising its enforcement discretion in order to provide certainty to the regulated community.
You can find the OSHA enforcement memo
here
and more information on this subject
here
.
During questions following the Governor's press conference, Governor Pritzker again stated that he believes the state needs a graduated income tax more than ever. The IMA is adamantly opposed to the massive tax increase that is on the ballot for voters this November.
Daily COVID-19 Results
Governor JB Pritzker held his daily press conference and announced:
- There are 1,346 new cases of coronavirus in Illinois.
- There are a total of 948 deaths related to coronavirus in Illinois, including 80 additional deaths announced today.
- A total of 24,593 cases have been confirmed in at least 87 of the 102 counties.
- There have been 116,929 individuals tested for coronavirus in Illinois.
Press Conference Key Updates
New or critical items of note that were discussed today by the Governor:
- The focus of today's press conference was on the financial health of Illinois in relation to the coronavirus. Noting that the virus will be hitting Illinois' budget hard, Governor Pritzker announced that for the current fiscal year, there will be a shortfall of $2.7 billion in funding than previously estimated. For fiscal year 2021, revenue estimates are now $4.6 billion less than previously estimated.
- The Governor noted that states rely on taxes for revenue and those sources are dropping dramatically, including a total 7% drop for the current fiscal year.
- For fiscal year 2021, the Governor stated that the total budget gap, when including funding shortfalls and emergency borrowing payback, will be $6.2 billion. The Governor then claimed the budget gap number will be $7.4 billion if the state does not pass his massive tax increase in November.
Question & Answer Section
As a reminder, the Illinois Department of Labor offers a list of
Frequently Asked Questions
on their website that has information, such as:
Q. Our company needs employees to work beyond full week, how can I get a permit so workers may continue to work to meet the demands of the company?
A. First, the employees must volunteer to work. The Department enforces and reviews permit applications for the employment of persons pursuant to the One Day Rest in Seven Act (ODRISA). The law ensures that employees work for no more than 7 (seven) days a week for more than 8 (eight) weeks in any one year. During this unprecedented time, employers may file a permit application and should specify the number of employees per location with an explanation of the need for personnel along with their permit applications. The Department will consider the permit application approved upon receipt. If the Illinois Department of Labor has concerns with your permit, we will call and ask for the applicant to address any concerns. Under the act, the term "week" means seven (7) consecutive twenty-four (24) hour periods starting at 12:01 AM Sunday morning and ending at midnight of the following Saturday night. A permit application must be received by the Director not later than the Friday preceding the first effective day of the permit.
