[Source: Reuters] U.S. manufacturing activity eased off an 11-year low in May, the strongest sign yet that the worst of the economic downturn was behind as businesses reopen, though the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis could take years because of high unemployment. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said on Monday its index of national Read More…
Category: U.S. News
Is looting covered by insurance? Depends on the business
[Source: Los Angeles Times] Sean Wotherspoon spent Saturday night in his Los Angeles home, watching live as his businesses were destroyed. He watched as security-camera feeds showed people shattering the plate glass windows of his Round Two store on Melrose Avenue and walking out with more than $250,000 worth of high-end street wear. He saw Read More…
Port of Oakland predicts major supply chain alterations post-pandemic
[Source: Port Technology] The Port of Oakland is expecting a substantial drop in cargo this spring as the COVID-19 pandemic leads to more blank sailings and continues to hinder growth. Speaking to Harbour Trucking Association via video conference Port of Oakland Business Development Manager Andrew Hwang said that cancellations are up 10% year-on-year (YoY). However, Read More…
Gears jammed again during relaunch of small-business relief program
[Source: Bloomberg Politics] The re-launch of a government relief program for small firms got off to a rocky start Monday, with lenders reporting being shut out of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s system amid a flood of applications for loans. The SBA said that “unprecedented demand” was slowing down its loan-processing platform and there were Read More…
There’s a growing possibility of a W-shaped economic recovery — and it’s scary
[Source: The Washington Post] There are growing concerns that any economic recovery later this year could prove short-lived because of a possible deadly resurgence of the novel coronavirus and a late spike in bankruptcies and defaults, a wicked combination that could cause households and businesses that barely survived the spring lockdown to go under later Read More…
Reminder: properly document FFCRA leave to claim tax credits
[Source: CalChamber] Employers are becoming familiar with the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which provides new COVID-19-related federal emergency paid sick leave and emergency family and medical leave. As employees start using the new leave, it’s important for employers to collect and maintain proper documentation, not only for their own records, but also Read More…
Avoid liability: on-call rules to know
[Source: CalChamber] In this episode of The Workplace podcast, CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw discuss the difference between “restricted” and “unrestricted” on-call shifts, and what issues may arise with the Paycheck Protection Program if employers place workers on on-call shifts. Restricted vs. Unrestricted As more Read More…
White House readies push to slash regulations as major part of its coronavirus economic recovery plan
[Source: The Washington Post] Senior White House and Trump administration officials are planning to launch a sweeping effort in the coming days to repeal or suspend federal regulations affecting businesses, with the expected executive action seen by advisers as a way to boost an economy facing its worst shock in generations, two people familiar with Read More…
Thousands of OSHA complaints filed against companies for virus workplace safety concerns
[Source: The Washington Post] People working during the pandemic have filed thousands of complaints regarding their exposure to the novel coronavirus and a lack of safeguards at their places of employment, according to records obtained under a Freedom of Information request and reviewed by The Washington Post. The employee complaints offer a snapshot of the Read More…