Is Your Workplace Prepared?

With so many recent tragedies regarding shootings in the workplace, it is a good time to review your safety policies and re-communicate them to your employees. An active shooter incident can happen in any place at any time. Providing information to employees and mentally rehearsing what to do in an active shooter situation can help when every second counts. Preparation is essential.
Good practices for coping with an active shooter situation include;
· Make sure employees are always aware of their environment and any possible dangers
· Employees should know at least two nearest exits in the workplace
· Employees should know to turn phones on mute so the active shooter is not aware of an employee’s location in case a phone call/text is received
· If an active shooter enters, employees should find the closest room and secure the door
· As a last resort, attempt to take the active shooter down. When the shooter is at close range and employees cannot flee, the chance of survival is much greater if there are attempts to incapacitate the shooter
· Call 911 when it is safe to do so
Where can you find help? Local Police Departments may provide training and helpful resources for employers. The Department of Homeland Security and OSHA also maintain valuable information. We are glad to provide you with more information and feel free to contact us at [email protected].

The American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law on March 11, 2021 and contains features that are designed to help employers recover from the pandemic.  Features of the Act include;
 
·       The Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC), which was created in the CARES Act and provides tax relief for employers on employee wages, has been extended from June 30th to the end of the year. Hardest hit employers may count all wages paid as qualifying wages, not just the wages paid to employees that are not providing service.  The extension of two additional quarters translates to up to an additional $14,000 in savings per employee. More assistance under the ERTC has been included in the Act.
·       The paid leave tax credit created in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) has also been extended, from March 2021 to the end of September. As of April 1, 2021, employers are eligible for an additional tax credit if they voluntarily provide an additional 10 days of paid sick leave and an additional 10 weeks of paid family leave. The limit on the size of the tax credit has been increased to $12,000.
·       In addition, new qualifying reasons for FFCRA paid leave have been added, mostly related to COVID-19 vaccines, such as an employee;

• Is awaiting a diagnosis,
• Will be receiving immunization from COVID-19, or
• Is recovering from any complications related to the immunization
• Revisions to Unemployment were included in the Act.
  • Provides 53 weeks of federal unemployment benefits after the state benefits end, up from 24 weeks
• The federal supplement to unemployment remains at $300 a week
  • A new provision exempts $10,200 of unemployment benefits received in 2020 from income taxes. It is retroactive, applying to unemployment insurance benefits received last year and only applies to individuals with incomes below $150,000. 

The above topics only cover general information of the provisions under the American Rescue Plan Act 2021.  If we can provide more information, contact us at [email protected]
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