Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, work search requirements have been modified.
These general workplace safety and health principles update restrictions originally put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Department of the Treasury, posted a revised, borrower-friendly Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness application implementing the PPP Flexibility Act of 2020, signed into law by President Trump on June 5, 2020.
In addition to revising the full forgiveness application, SBA also published a new EZ version of the forgiveness application that applies to borrowers that:
Are self-employed and have no employees; OR Did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more than 25%, and did not reduce the number or hours of their employees; OR Experienced reductions in business activity as a result of health directives related to COVID-19, and did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more than 25%.
From the U.S. Chamber:
"Under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) created by the CARES Act, loans may be forgiven if borrowers use the proceeds to maintain their payrolls and pay other specified expenses. Congress recently changed the rules regarding loan forgiveness. The Treasury Department and Small Business Administration are responsible for updating the application form and instructions for loan forgiveness. You can find the most up-to-date information here.
PPP borrowers must apply for loan forgiveness with the lender that processed the loan.
This guide is designed to help borrowers understand the process by which their loan forgiveness amount will be calculated and the overall approach of the loan forgiveness process."
Check out the New York Forward Business Reopening Lookup Tool: https://www.businessexpress.ny.gov/app/nyforward. This tool will help you determine whether or not your business is eligible to reopen, and the public health and safety standards with which your business must comply.
More Information is available at New York Forward Industry Guidance and Reopening
NYFLF targets the state’s small businesses with 20 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees (90% of all businesses), nonprofits and small landlords that have seen a loss of rental income.
NYFLF is providing working capital loans so that small businesses, nonprofits and small landlords have access to credit as they reopen. These loans are available to small businesses, nonprofits, and small landlords that did not receive a loan from either the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for COVID-19 in 2020. The loans are not forgivable in part or whole. The loans will need to be paid back over a 5-year term with interest.
The working capital loans are timed to support businesses and organizations as they proceed to reopen and have upfront expenses to comply with guidelines (e.g., inventory, marketing, refitting for new social distancing guidelines) under the New York Forward Plan.
The geographic proportionality goals for the New York Forward Loan Fund for small businesses are:
Capital Region 4% Central NY Region 4% Finger Lakes Region 4% Hudson Valley Region 12% Long Island Region 18% Mohawk Valley Region 4% NYC Region 30% North Country Region 4% Southern Tier Region 4% Western NY Region 8% Access to loans for small landlords will be targeted to owners with residential buildings of 50 units or less, and will prioritize loans for landlords whose properties are in low and moderate income census tracts or who serve low to moderate income tenants.
The New York Forward Loan Fund is supported by Apple Bank, BNB Bank, BlackRock Charitable Fund, Citi Foundation, Evans Bank, Ford Foundation, M&T Bank, Morgan Stanley, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Wells Fargo.
Pre-applications for the New York Forward Loan Fund will be open on May 26, 2020 at Noon Eastern Daylight Time. Priority will be given to industries and regions that have been reopened. This is not a first-come, first-served loan program. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as regions and industries reopen. For small businesses and nonprofits that are in industries and regions that have not yet reopened, you are encouraged to prepare your pre-application in advance by taking advantage of the application preparation resources available here. This will allow you to quickly submit your pre-application once it is announced that your industry and region is phased to reopen.
Five Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) will be processing pre-applications on June 1, 2020: Accion East, Community Preservation Corporation, National Development Council, Pursuit and TruFund Financial Services. Please do not apply to the participating CDFI lender directly.
https://esd.ny.gov/nyforwardloans-info
To fill out a pre-application and match with a participating lender, go here.
Do you have questions about how to maintain health coverage or wonder what happens to your retirement benefits after a termination of employment?
From Catholic Charities Dispute Resolution Center:
"During this time of social distancing, the Dispute Resolution Center is here to help you resolve conflict. We are now able to provide virtual mediation via video and phone conferencing. Virtual mediation is a confidential and voluntary process that can empower people to resolve their conflict peacefully and quickly. Our mediation services are free with the exception of divorce mediation, where there is a $100 fee."
Learn More about the Service Here
We've got more COVID-19 resources to share with you, plus workforce news, tips for job seekers and businesses, a new free online training program, a special spotlight section on local schools and manufacturers who are helping in the fight against the pandemic and lots more!
A Message to the Social Security Beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income Recipients from SSA.Gov.
This document provides information for Social Security beneficiaries (retirement, survivors, disability) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients related to economic impact payments being issued to eligible individuals.
The Workforce Development Board Herkimer, Madison, Oneida and Chenango, Delaware & Otsego Workforce Board now offer Metrix® online training free of charge to all businesses and unemployed and underemployed residents in these six counties.
Metrix Learning® is a comprehensive learning platform that helps set job seekers up for success. Job seekers can gain skills and keep current skills fresh, helping their resumes stand out and readying them for re-entry into a new job market.
Along with online skill training, the platform also offers career exploration tools, career pathways, job search tools, and assessments, giving job seekers a clear picture of where they are and what skills they need to gain to get them where they want to be.
The Metrix® platform helps job seekers progressively build their skills in an easy to understand format, using interactive modules that include videos and quizzes. Job seekers can track their progress, achieving course completion certificates and earning skill badges that help potential employers take notice when considering how a candidate can bring value to their team.
Job seekers can take an unlimited amount of classes and can choose from more than 5,000 workplace skills, business and IT courses. Topics are wide-ranging, including Microsoft Office, sales, software, workplace skills, and many more.
The platform can also help businesses who are having trouble finding qualified candidates or are looking to update their employees’ skills. The WDB and its local American Job Center offices in HMO and CDO offer services to residents to help strengthen the workforce and help workers prepare for and achieve meaningful careers. While in-person services are suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WDB, HMO Working Solutions, and CDO Workforce continue to assist job seekers and businesses by way of virtual services.
In Herkimer, Madison and Oneida counties, Metrix training and other virtual services can be requested at: www.working-solutions.org.
In Chenango, Delaware and Otsego counties, Metrix training and other virtual services can be requested at: www.cdoworkforce.org. (For Metrix Training: go to For Job Seekers>Training Resources.)
These resources contain program information and frequently asked questions about COVID-19 and can help people with disabilities and their families understand how to deal with the current pandemic financially.
NDI's Financial Resilience Center is an online hub to answer frequently asked questions about: COVID-19 Stimulus; Employment and Unemployment; Public Benefits; Money Management; Housing, Food and Healthcare; Scams and more.
While physical offices have closed, staff is able to work remotely to continue to provide online and over the phone advice and counsel to the community.
See the Unemployment Fact Sheet
See the Relief Check Fact Sheet
The Rose F. Kennedy Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (RFK CERC)/The University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) put together a Resource Guide that contains information related to the ongoing COVID-19 situation.
Resources are listed by area: NYC - Local, NY - State, and National. Each resource is listed by its target audience: Children/Youth, General COVID, Individuals with Disabilities, Older Adults, and Plain Language. Plain language is for all reading levels. Resources are in English unless otherwise noted.
Leatherstocking Collaborative Health Partners (LCHP) Medical Director Dr. James Anderson shares some pointers for maintaining emotional wellness during the pandemic.
Originally compiled as a resource for healthcare workers by his colleague, Dr. Amy Naugle, at Western Michigan University, these suggested activities and practices can help any individual or family seeking balance in a shaky time.
For more COVID-19 resources from LCHP, Go Here
If you have been instructed to call theTelephone Claims Center to complete filing your claim, you no longer need to call. A representative from the NYS DOL will call you back within 72 hours.
Extended telephone filing hours as follows:
Learn More Here: https://labor.ny.gov/ui/how_to_file_claim.shtm
