January 14, 2022

Supreme Court Blocks Vaccine Mandate for Businesses The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday blocked a nationwide vaccine and testing mandate for large employers. It does, however, allow a vaccine mandate for more than 10 million health care workers to go into effect nationwide.   "Although Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given that agency the power to regulate public health more broadly. Requiring the vaccination of 84 million Americans, selected simply because they work for employers with more than 100 employees, certainly falls in the latter category," the unsigned opinion says.   The rule would impact some 84 million individuals and require private employers with 100 or more employees to ensure they are fully vaccinated or undergo regular testing and wear a face covering at work. There are exceptions for those with religious objections.   The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the private-employer rules in November. Several parts of the regulations, including a requirement for mask-wearing in the workplace by unvaccinated individuals, were set to take effect this week. However, the testing requirements weren’t scheduled to be enforced until next month.   Read more from the Associated Press.

Featured Member Benefit

Interested in connecting with other Chamber members via USPS? Members can purchase mailing labels from us at a special rate. $10.00 non-profit $25.00 profit   $50.00 non-member Contact MacKenzie at mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com or 814-643-1110 for more information.

Every year we partner with the Altoona Curve to celebrate Huntingdon County Night. A portion of the proceeds go to a member nonprofit that was randomly drawn from all our nonprofit members. This year we hope you come out to support the Bob Perk's Fund.

Reinforcing The Need For A Solid Benefit Program Events over the past couple years have caused many employees to reconsider their priorities when it comes to choosing benefits. Employers who have offered traditional benefit packages until recently are finding they may no longer be the employer of choice with an outdated benefit portfolio that doesn’t meet the evolving needs of their workers. Losing key talent is a risk few businesses can endure. A good, solid employer-sponsored medical program is still a chief concern for employees. At the same time, however, as a result of a heightened awareness of medical and financial needs due to pandemic-related factors, employees have sought to round out their coverage with benefits such as:  ·         Income protection (short- and long-term disability coverage) ·         Critical Illness programs ·         Hospital Indemnity programs ·         Mental Health benefits ·         Financial Wellness benefit programs Adding these programs is neither expensive nor difficult. And for employers concerned about the impact on their operating budget, an effective solution to accommodate this shift in benefit focus without incurring additional cost is through a voluntary benefits package.  It’s no easy task to continually accommodate shifting employee benefit needs while staying within budgetary restraints, but the employer who does so will not only win the loyalty of their employees but better position themselves as an employer of choice going forward.   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. This e-mail and any files transmitted with it may contain confidential and/or privileged material. This e-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient or have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to the sender. After notifying the sender of the error, you should immediately delete this e-mail from your system. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, dissemination, distribution, duplication, or use of the e-mail contents or any attachments therein is strictly prohibited.

The Chamber's Membership & Marketing Committee is looking for some people to join the committee and help develop more ways we can support our members. If you would like to learn more about the committee, please contact me at ymartin@huntingdonchamber.com.

Interested in advertising in our enews? Contact Yvonne at ymartin@huntingdonchamber.com. The cost is $25.00; $10.00 for 501(3) organizations.

Partners In Excellence   Platinum Fulton County Medical Center Shafer Equipment Co. Gold Stern Insurance Agency   Silver Mutual Benefit Group   Bronze Bumgardner & Flasher Oil, Inc. Orbisonia Hardware, Inc.    Royal Bange's Masonary MiCamp Solutions LLC Culbertson Commercial Cleaning Service FirstEnergy Corporation Juniata College Keller Engineers Lincoln Caverns, Inc. and Whisper Rocks McDonald's Stiffler, McGraw and Associates, Inc.  Dirtbusters Cleaning Services Interested in learning about becoming a Partner in Excellence? Contact Yvonne at  ymartin@huntingdonchamber.com  or 814.643.1110 Packages range from $125 to $1,000.

Chamber Events

Hold the Dates: Huntingdon County United Way Ribbon Cutting 417 Penn Street, Huntingdon January 21, 2022 9:00 a.m. "State of the County" Address February 16, 2022 7:45-9:00 a.m. Huntingdon Country Club Spring Jam April 3, 2022  2022 Administrative Professionals Wednesday, April 27, 2022 "Highway to Rock" Concert featuring Live Wire May 21, 2022 Huntingdon County Night at the Curve August 6, 2022 6:00 p.m. 8th Annual Sporting Clay Tournament September 14, 2022 September 21, 2022 (storm date) We are starting to plan our 2022 events. If you are interested in hosting a Business Afer Hours or ribbon cutting please let MacKenzie know. mhuntsman@untingdonchamber,com We are also in the process of planning our Dale Carnegie, Google, Human Resource, and other seminars. Please let us know if you have specific educational needs.

Download our logo to use on your website. Click the logo for more information. Feel free to link the image on your website to our website, huntingdonchamber.com.

If you are hiring, please send position information to ymartin@huntingdonchamber.com or login to the member section of our website to post your jobs. We've begun promoting this on Facebook.

In Case You Missed It

UC Fraud and UC-1099G Tax Forms https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-treatment-of-unemployment-compensation Victim of unemployment fraud? Criminals using stolen identities filed claims for unemployment compensation in other people's names. Because unemployment compensation is taxable, state unemployment agencies submit Forms 1099-G to individuals in whose names and Social Security numbers the unemployment compensation was paid and to the IRS. Victims of fraud who receive Forms 1099-G with inaccurate amounts of unemployment compensation in Box 1 should notify the state agencies of the inaccuracies and request corrected Forms 1099-G. The Department of Labor details www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/UIIDtheft. Taxpayers should only report income they actually received on their tax returns. Do not report income you did not receive. The IRS offers tax guidance to victims at https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-theft-and-unemployment-benefits. More Information IR-2021-71, IRS to recalculate taxes on unemployment benefits; refunds to start in May IR-2021-81, IRS reminds U.S. territory residents about U.S. income tax rules relating to pandemic unemployment compensation New Exclusion of up to $10,200 of Unemployment Compensation

COVID-19 Vaccines at Penn Highlands Healthcare Vaccine sign up now available. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Penn Highlands Healthcare is vaccinating any Pennsylvanian ages 12 and above. Please call the PHH Vaccine Information Line at 814-503-4735 to sign-up or by visiting www.phhealthcare.org/vaccine to schedule a vaccine. If have questions, please call the PHH Vaccine Information Line at 814-503-4735 Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Did you know........ Small businesses represent the largest segment by number of most local chamber membership rolls. Results in the research study by The Shapiro Group, Inc. and Market Street indicate the impact of local chamber membership on small businesses is very powerful. If a consumer knows a small business is a member of its local chamber, the business enjoys a 44 percent increase in its consumer favorability rating, a 51 percent increase in consumer awareness, a 57 percent increase in its local reputation and a 63 percent increase in the likelihood that consumers will patronize the business in the future. Research indicates that chamber membership stimulates business-to-business commerce in the local community. Other businesses in town are more likely to do business with you and your company if you are a member of the local chamber. Because a major part of a small business typically comes from business-to-business services, it is essential to maintain a positive standing within the local business community. Download our logo to use on your website. Click the logo for more information.

Paid Leave Tax Credit Resources and Guidance 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 receive 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.

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.

Resources from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce The U.S. Chamber continues to create, update, and evolve its various guides and resources. 10 Steps to Host a Vaccine Clinic  Public-Private Partnership Best Practices for Vaccine Distribution Generalized Overview of the Requirements to Host a Vaccine Clinic  The Best Ways for Employers to Promote COVID-19 Vaccines  Mask Guides: Recommendations for Wearing and Selecting  How to Select a Mask Graphic COVID Vaccines Digital Resources Center Guide to Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Loans COVID-19 Vaccines FAQ Federal Unemployment Assistance Proposals: State Impact Comparison Guide to PPP Loan Forgiveness Reopening Business Digital Resources Center Reopening Business Digital Resources Center Toolkit Small Business Reopening Playbook Main Street Lending Program Guide State-Specific Guidance Map Backgrounder on Health Coverage Options Backgrounder on Unemployment Insurance Under the CARES Act Independent Contractor's Guide to CARES Act Relief Coronavirus Emergency Loans Small Business Guide and Checklist Temporary Paid Leave and Family Medical Leave Guide Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program Guide Employee Retention Tax Credit Guide Coronavirus Small Business Guide Coronavirus Response Toolkit

Click here for access to timely resources.

Quick Connect Coaching Sessions Weekly, Tuesdays at 8:30 am Looking for a quick answer to a question related to disaster recovery, reopening, stabilizing, or projecting for growth? Then attend a "Quick Connect" session to get your questions answered. Each week a consultant will address answers related to a specific topic. Learn more

Contact Us Yvonne Martin President/ CEO ymartin@huntingdonchamber.com MacKenzie Huntsman Program Director mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com 500 Allegheny Street Huntingdon, PA 16652 Phone: 814-643-1110 Fax: 814-643-1115

Stay Connected Chamber Website ‌ ‌ ‌ Looking to start an endowment or to support community efforts? Click the logo above to learn more about the Huntingdon County Foundation.