Employment trends expert Rob Wilson shares exclusive advice on PPP and what employers must know

Last week the House passed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act by 417-1, with the aim of easing strain on small business owners who are being crushed by the coronavirus pandemic and work stoppage.

“The House made important modifications to PPP which really lightened the burden on small businesses,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and employment trends expert. “They reduced the percentage of the loan which must be spent on payroll down to 60%, which ensures that employers can spend the funds on other necessary business expenses.”

Still, Wilson knows that this won’t be enough for many businesses.

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Employment expert discusses ‘Illinois Restored’ and the uncertain future

Gov. J.B. Pritzker just unveiled his new reopening plan for the state of Illinois. The projected 5-phase “Illinois Restored” plan was created to help safely reopen businesses in the state without causing an influx of COVID-19 infections. But what does Illinois’s phases reopening mean for employers and their staff, and should we expect similar plans from other lawmakers across the country?

“Gov. Pritzker’s reopening plan is based heavily on whether the incoming numbers will support plans to open up the state a bit more,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA. “But, if we are seeing an uptick in COVID-19 infections, a sustained increase in hospital admission, or if Illinois’s hospitals start to become overtaxed, the phases will reset back to the start.”

Wilson says that just because the state is starting to talk about reopening, along with several other states, that we should not expect things to go back to normal right away.

“There is going to be a new normal established,” says Wilson. “For example, many areas (like St. Louis County) are saying they will be adopting a ‘no mask, no service’ protocol in which all employees and customers will be required to wear masks. Other companies say they will stagger the return of their employees, for example, bringing just a handful of employees at a time into the office, and rotating work days so that it does not become too crowded and people don’t congregate too closely to one another.”

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How to lead your team effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic          

In 2018, only 24 percent of U.S. workers worked from home on a consistent basis. But, as of last month, 67 percent of employers were taking steps to allow employees to work from home in order to cope with social distancing guidelines. And, as social distancing time frames have been lengthened across the country, employers need to reconsider their new management styles and how to motivate and engage employees who may feel ‘out of sight, out of mind.’

“Leading a team of remote employees will require a bit of a learning curve,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and employment trends expert. “This is a unique situation that is going to force managers and employers to be adaptive and creative.”

Wilson says that companies need to respond to the COVID-19 quarantine by first adapting their employee handbook and communicating new guidelines and expectations to employees.

“Meet with your department heads, supervisors and HR staff to come up with a work from home policy which can be emailed or mailed to your staff,” says Wilson. “List out expectations regarding timesheets and how work hours need to be recorded. Remind staff that they still need permission to work overtime or to shift their work schedules. For example, if you have employees who are parents that need to take into account their child’s e-learning time, be flexible about letting employees tack on an hour at the start or end of the day, if they need time off midday to manage childcare requirements.”

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