Thursday, April 23rd is Associated Builders and Contractors N
ational COVID-19
Safety Stand-down Day
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Associated Builders and Contractors is asking members to participate in COVID-19 Safety Stand-downs today, Thursday, April 23, 2020.
We believe having a stand-down is a vital opportunity to persuade employers and workers in construction to ensure their behavior keeps them safe and slows the spread of the virus.
Finally, we encourage everyone to use the hashtag,
#COVID19SafetyStandDown
for sharing stories and photos on social media to spread awareness of the merit shop construction industry's stand-down efforts on social media.
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- Paycheck Protection Program Details Emerging
- Upcoming Trainings with Jason Ashlaw
- Upcoming and Previously Recorded Webinars
- DirectAdvisors Podcast
- Empire Chapter Resources
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Paycheck Protection Program Deal
Emerging in Congress
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On Tuesday, the Senate approved an additional coronavirus relief package, which provides $310 billion more in funding for the Paycheck Protection Program. The bill is expected to be signed into law later this week. The program ran out of the initial $349 billion the federal government earmarked for it in just 13 days. This time, smaller businesses may have a better chance at receiving funds.
The new bill provides $30 billion specifically for community lenders, small banks and credit unions. An additional $30 billion will be allocated for medium-sized banks and credit unions.
Which Businesses Qualify?
Small businesses with 500 or fewer employees can apply for loans through the Paycheck Protection Program. One loan will be granted per business.
How Much Money Can a Business Get?
The maximum loan granted from the PPP will be equal to 2.5 times the average monthly payroll costs for the previous calendar year, up to $10 million. Payroll costs only apply to annual salaries up to $100,000; while calculating your monthly payroll costs, you’ll have to subtract any excess salary amount over that cap.
Costs Covered Under the Paycheck Protection Program
The Paycheck Protection Program will give small businesses loans to continue to pay employees and cover other business expenses during the COVID-19 crisis. All loans have a 1% fixed interest rate, require no collateral or guarantor and will be due in two years with no prepayment penalties or fees. Loan payments will also be deferred for six months; during that time, interest will accrue.
Payroll costs include:
- Salary, wages, commissions and tips capped at $100,000 per year for each employee
- Costs of benefits including vacation, parental, family, medical and sick leave
- Allowance for separation or dismissal of employees
- Payments for health care benefits
- Payments for retirement benefits
- State and local taxes on compensation
- Sole proprietors and independent contractors are also eligible to be included in payroll costs. Their wages, commissions, income or net earnings from self-employment can be covered by loan funds, capped at $100,000 per year for each worker.
If a small business uses a Paycheck Protection Program loan for the specified expenses over an eight-week period, the loan will be forgiven. Mortgage interest, rent and utility payments are also eligible for payment with the loan funds.
How Will the Loans Be Forgiven?
Loans granted under the Paycheck Protection Program will be forgiven in full—essentially making them grants from the government—only if certain requirements are met. Companies must keep workers on their payrolls for an eight-week period after the loan is granted, and the businesses can only use the loan for the other costs listed above.
Loan forgiveness will be reduced depending on how businesses use the money. If staff counts are reduced, or salaries for employees who earn less than $100,000 annually are reduced by more than 25%, then the business must repay the loan. Businesses have until June 30, 2020 to restore full-time employment and salary levels that were changed between February 15 and April 26.
Businesses will need to submit a request for forgiveness to the lender that services their loan. According to the Treasury, the request must include documents verifying employees and pay rates, as well as what the loan money was used for.
Where Can You Apply?
Small business owners can apply through an existing U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lender or through any federally insured deposit institution. A list of SBA lenders can be found on the
SBA’s website.
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Upcoming Trainings with Jason Ashlaw
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Webinar: Bringing Your Project Back Online: Tips to Ensure a Smooth Restart
Date: Tuesday, April 28th
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Join ABC Empire State's Statewide Safety Director, Jason Ashlaw, to prepare you and your employees with tips and suggestions for a safe return to work after a shutdown.
Register in advance for this webinar:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
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Virtual Safety Awareness Training
Statewide Director of Safety, Craft Training, and Workforce Development,
Jason Ashlaw
is offering the following
Safety Awareness Trainings:
Electrical Safety Training
: Thursday, April 30th 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Silica Awareness
: Tuesday, May 5th 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Confined Space
: Thursday, May 7th 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Excavation Safety
: Tuesday, May 12th 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Stairs & Ladders Training
: Thursday, May 14th 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Cost: $80 per person, per course.
**Virtual training requires Laptop with a camera or smart phone with internet access
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Date: Thursday, April 23, 2020
Time: 3 p.m. EDT
Length: 90 minutes
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION
One of the unintended consequences of the coronavirus pandemic is the increase of cybersecurity threats due to the prevalence of remote working. Without the right protections in place, your company and workforce can be at risk from a wide variety of hackers. Join Nick Espinosa, cybersecurity and network infrastructure expert and president of Security Fanatics, as he walks through precautions your company should take to protect itself and your employees.
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Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Time: 3 p.m. EDT
Length: 60 minutes
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION
Learn about a variety of technologies to help ensure security for your jobsites, including intuitive software solutions and hardware that can immediately make an impact where you work. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions and challenges that need solving for the presenter to address.
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Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Time: 3 p.m. EDT
Length: 60 minutes
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION
The ANSI standards that govern the access equipment industry are scheduled to take effect on June 1, 2020. As we face COVID-19 and navigate its effects on the construction industry, it is even more crucial to be proactive, informed and prepared about compliance. Who’s affected? Everyone. Rental companies, equipment owners, supervisors, operators and technicians.
Join Rick Smith, Senior Director Training at JLG Industries, as he reviews the changes to be made in the areas of training, job site safety and machine selection. And, more importantly, what you can do now to meet the new standards. ANSI/CSA compliance is critical. So, join us to make sure you’re ready by the impending June 1, 2020 deadline. Sign up today!
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ABC Empire State Webinar Series
Recorded Webinars
The Empire Chapter is offering a library of recorded webinars from both ABC National and our Empire Chapter Professional Services Committee. T
he purpose of these webinars is to keep members educated on all things that affect your business and the construction industry.
Previous topics, include:
*To access ABC National’s recorded webinars you must apply for a login
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On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act as part of the federal stimulus package intended to stabilize the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act has opened up a number of provisions for employer-sponsored retirement plans by making additional funds available to Plan participants who are impacted by COVID-19.
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Guidance for Returning an Employee to Work After Recovery from COVID-19
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The personal safety and health of each employee is of primary importance. We believe that employees are our most important assets and that their safety at the worksite is our greatest responsibility. As such, the Empire Chapter is offering members a
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Brian Sampson
President
Phone: (585) 967-2133
Tracie Cunningham
Controller
Phone: (315) 463-7539
Stephanie Hart
Event & Program Manager
Phone: (315) 463-7539
Mike Kanealey
Senior Membership Director
Phone: (585) 301-6005
Amanda Bertram
Vice President of Public Affairs
Phone: (518) 469-1507
Tanner Schmidt
WNY Membership Manager & Government Affairs Program Assistant
Phone: (585) 730-1814
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Jeff Albert
Chief Operating Officer
Phone: (315) 246-7233
Jason Ashlaw
Safety, Craft Training, and Workforce Development Director
Phone: (315) 454-2320
Amy Platenik
Education Director
Phone: (585) 363-1657
Jamie Campisi
Education Coordinator
Phone: (585) 455-0293
Donna McGoey
Long Island Member Engagement Director
Phone: (718) 490-2079
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