On September 24th the Parkways Business Council hosted a Return to Work Employer Preparedness livestream event. PBC Chairman Alex De Jorge spoke to Jaime Escobar and Carey Stephenson with ADP about some of the most common questions and concerns expressed by employers as their employees return to work on-site. You can view the entire conversation with Jaime and Carey at the bottom of the blog post, or skim through some of the main points of interest below.
First off, ADP shared with us their Return to Work Guide. This guide includes an FAQ for employers as they welcome their employees back to the office or work location.
The 3 Most Common Questions From Small Business Owners
Carey Stephenson of ADP outlined the three most common questions that ADP receives from their small business clients. See the brief outline below and view the video at the bottom of the page for more details including a Q&A session following the initial presentation.
1. How do I go about re-opening? What do I need to be aware of?
OSHA requires employers to provide a workplace free of any known hazards, and COVID-19 has been classified as a known hazard. Therefore, as an employer, you must show that you are taking steps to mitigate the hazard of COVID. These steps may include:
It is also important to visibly communicate that you have done these things.
2. What do I do if an employee tests positive for COVID-19?
Should one of your employees test positive, a great start is to refer to the FAQ on page 19 of ADP’s Return to Work Guide and the CDC website for detailed cleaning requirements, etc. Then, be sure to complete the following steps:
3. I’ve readied my work space, notified my employees of the steps I’ve taken, but what if an employee says they won’t return?
In prior situations, refusal to work would have been legitimate cause for termination, but in the case of COVID-19 the question of “why” the employee refuses to work is important. Situations in which an employee might refuse to work include:
Early voting for the 2020 election starts Monday, October 19 in Florida. That means, you can visit any Osceola County early voting location (if you are an Osceola County resident) and cast your ballot between now and Sunday, November 1. If you miss that window, you may vote within your local precinct on Tuesday, November 3. See below for some helpful links and info so you can educate yourself before you go and vote.
Osceola County Supervisor of Elections
For all things local elections, including how to locate your nearest polling location, be sure to visit VoteOsceola.com, the website of the Osceola County Supervisor of Elections. You can also check your voter status to make sure you are registered and eligible to vote in this election. If you did not register to vote in time, find out what you need to do to be eligible for the next election cycle. Perhaps you already voted by mail? The Osceola County Supervisor of Elections site also makes it possible to check the status of your Vote by Mail ballot.
The US Chamber of Commerce
The US Chamber of Commerce put together a comprehensive site to keep you up-to-date on elections around the country called VoteForJobs.com. Find out important election-related dates not just for Florida, but for all 50 states. You can sign up for election-related alerts via text message or email and access the US Chamber's Voter Action Toolkit. The US Chamber also issues a score for each sitting Congressman. You can find their scores on this site and even search by state, party, or chamber of Congress.
Meet Your Local Candidates!
During the August Primary, the Osceola County Chamber hosted a virtual straw poll. On our Virtual Straw Poll Site, you can learn about the local and state candidates via their own words. View candidate statement videos from candidates that remain in the races for St. Cloud City Council, Kissimmee City Commission, Osceola County Commission, Osceola County School Board, State Representative, State Senator, State Attorney, and more!
Constitutional Amendments
So, you may have seen the candidates out and about or on TV, or participated in our Virtual Straw Poll, and feel like you have a good grasp on who you want to vote for. But, did you know there are also six constitutional amendments on this fall's ballot? What are they about and how might their passage, or failure to pass, affect you and your business? Florida Tax Watch put together a comprehensive Voter Guide that carefully outlines these six amendments, including what your vote of "Yes" or "No" will mean, the arguments for and against, a fiscal impact statement of each proposed amendment, and Florida Tax Watch's personal assessment and recommendation.
As an added bonus, Florida Tax Watch President/CEO Dominic Calabro recently sat down for a conversation with Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber President/CEO John Newstreet for the Chamber's 15 Minutes Series on Facebook Live to further discuss these amendments. You can view that concise 20-minute video below.
We at the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber hope this list of links and tools will be helpful to you and your business as you make important decisions and vote this election year.
The Poinciana Area Council Board of Directors hosted a Zoom Into Your Business Virtual Expo. All PAC members were invited to join in on a Zoom call and share a brief presentation on their business. PAC will be sharing these video presentations throughout the month of September on their Facebook page, and you can find them all archived right here as well.
