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There are a growing number of concerns among employers who are unable to fill positions. As have our counterparts across the state and country, we've heard from employers about the difficulty of finding workers. PA House Bill 406, calls for reinstating work search requirements for unemployment compensation (UC) recipients. It is hoped that this step will help improve the situation. See related article below.

As noted in the article above, employers can file UC-1921W to report employees that refuse to return to work. Unfortunately, we learned this morning in our biweekly chamber association call with the PA Chamber, that the forms are not being handled in a timely manner.

Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO, Gene Barr has a meeting scheduled with the Governor's Chief of Staff next week and would like information from employers to share. If you have submitted the refusal to work form and it is not being handled, please email [email protected]. Also, if you have employees refusing suitable work and have not yet reported that to PA UC, please share that information with us. Gene is gathering information on how extensive the issues are across the state.

The extra $300 a week is stopping some employees from returning to work, as is the inability to find child care. This has become a huge problem for employers everywhere. So far eight states have eliminated the extra $300 per week. Some employers across the country are offering return to work bonuses as in incentive.

House Bill 129 would set remote status as the default format for unemployment compensation appeal hearings unless there’s good cause to hold the hearing in person. This bill has been passed by the House and now currently awaits consideration in the Senate. Last year, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the appeals hearing process temporarily transitioned to a remote format out of necessity. However, as noted in a memo sent to House members prior to the floor vote, employers have long sought an alternative to in-person hearings, which have often presented logistical and financial challenges. Moving to a permanent virtual format will help to create a more efficient unemployment compensation system going forward. 

House Bill 406, legislation that would reinstitute work search and CareerLink registration requirements for unemployment compensation claimants, was passed by the House Labor and Industry Committee in a party line vote. The PA Chamber urged committee members to support the legislation, citing feedback from employers who are now reporting significant workforce shortages, despite the state’s high unemployment rate. Reinstituting the work search requirement will help in Pennsylvania’s economic recovery by encouraging work and matching potential workers with open positions. House Bill 406 now goes to the full House for consideration.

The following recommendations apply to non-healthcare settings. For related information for healthcare settings, visit Updated Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations in Response to COVID-19 Vaccination.

Find more information here.

New opportunity: The Stacy's Rise Project is back! This grant program provides female-founded businesses with $10,000 grants and mentorship from PepsiCo and Frito-Lay leaders and other industry experts. Applications are open until July 9, 2021.

Aside from the technical and logistical challenges of creating a hybrid workforce (which have largely been addressed at this point), many business owners and HR professionals are now focusing on rebuilding policies and processes to maintain employee engagement and a unified culture. As many business owners will attest, a sound culture is critical to any company’s success with the payoff showing in revenue growth, retention and increased operating income.

The Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce offers its members access to My Benefit Advisor as a solution for employee benefits, including voluntary offerings. For more information about My Benefit Advisor, visit our website at hccc.mybenefitadvisor.com or contact Craig Pritts at (800) 377-3539.

Contact Yvonne at  [email protected]  or 814.643.1110

The business mitigation orders put in place by the Wolf administration to combat the COVID-19 pandemic will end on Monday, May 31 – Memorial Day. The announcement was made last week by the Wolf administration in conjunction with the COVID-19 Vaccine Joint Task Force. 

Click here for the pdf with live registration links.

Click here to view the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Fact Sheet to learn more about the Paid Leave Tax Credit, how it works, and who is qualified to received it.

Click here to view the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)’s Fact Sheet to learn more about how to claim the tax credit during quarterly filings and additional resources for employers about the program.

To sign-up to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, visit https://bit.ly/3a0Qt5S or call the PHH Vaccine Information Line at 814-503-4735.

April 30, beginning at 9:00 a.m. you can register at restaurants.sba.gov. You must register prior to applying even if you have registered in the past for other programs. POS providers Clover, NCR Corp., Square and Toast will work directly with restaurants to help them apply for the grants. Applications will be taken through Square and Toast as well as the SBA. If you are not applying through SBA, you do not need to register with them. There is also a phone number that you can call for an application, but this process will take longer than applying online.

Preparation: Prior to applying you should make sure you are prepared to answer the questions on this sample application and have all the necessary documents in a pdf format and labeled ready to upload. We have been told that the average application time is 27 minutes, if you are prepared prior to completing it. We have also been told that it should take approximately 14 days for approval. See the section below for required documentation. A call center and knowledge base support center can be found on the SBA website.

Click here to read the entire article.

Safe Harbor for Small Businesses to Claim Deductions Relating to First-round Paycheck Protection Program Loans 

The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service issued Revenue Procedure 2021-20 for certain businesses that received first-round Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans but did not deduct any of the original eligible expenses because they relied on guidance issued before the enactment of tax relief legislation in December of 2020.

Beginning April 8, 2021, venue operators that have been impacted by COVID-19 will be able to apply for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program. The program has allocated over $16 billion in grants for shuttered venues, to be administered by SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance.

·        Live venue operators or promoters

·        Theatrical producers

·        Live performing arts organization operators

·        Relevant museum operators, zoos, and aquariums

·        Motion picture theater operations

·        Talent representatives

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will be hosting a virtual Workforce Development Symposium on Wednesday, May 19 from 8:00-10:00AM.

As a bonus, they have secured Pennsylvania’s Deputy Secretary Sheila Ireland as keynote speaker.

Click here to register.

Looking for more ways to promote your business?

Tag the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce in your Facebook posts and we will share them on the

Huntingdon, PA - Promotions & Activities page. This page is followed by more than 4,000 people and it is free advertising for you.

As Pennsylvania businesses begin to reopen, each business owner will need to examine their operations and make changes to meet public safety guidelines. PASBDC has created signage to address common health concerns. All images are completely free to use, so please share, download, print and distribute as you wish!

All businesses must follow CDC and DOH guidance for social distancing and cleaning

Order of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health Directing Public Health Safety Measures for Businesses Permitted to Maintain In-Person Operation FAQs

Click here for access to timely resources.

Following the Governor's guidance, staff is once again working remotely and only going to the office as necessary. If you need to reach us, please call 814-643-1110 and leave a message for us or email [email protected] or [email protected]

Yvonne Martin