The Path Forward Rochester Prepares to Get Back to Business
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BOUNCE BACK NAVIGATING THE POST-PANDEMIC ECONOMY Rochester’s future depends on the strength of all small and medium businesses to drive the economic recovery in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. The RBJ has assembled a slate of experts across all industries to share their expertise and advise businesses of all sizes on how to bounce back when the pandemic starts to abate. What should you do now to prepare for an economy that’s likely to look nothing like we’ve seen before? Find that and more inside these pages. The Path Forward Rochester prepares to get back to business PRESENTED BY 2 rbj.net BOUNCE BACK NAVIGATING THE POST-PANDEMIC ECONOMY July 17, 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP: FAMILIES FIRST: Employee paid leave as it relates to coronavirus . .3 Bergmann Associates: OFFICE SAFETY: Workplace resiliency: Rethinking workspaces for a better future . .4 Black Button Distilling: AGRIBUSINESS: Black Button Distilling reimagines a way to thrive . .6 Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women: RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS: Leadership in uncertain times: Mercy’s response to COVID-19 . .8 The Bonadio Group: CLIENT SERVICES: Responding to rapidly changing client needs in the era of COVID-19. .10 Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County: SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE: The information you need, when you need it . .11 Greenlight Networks: WORKING REMOTELY: Greenlight lives in the home bandwidth it sells . 12 Harris Beach PLLC: CONTRACT ISSUES: How COVID-19 has transformed legal contracts . 14 Harter Secrest & Emery LLP: DON’T BE FOOLED: Opening the doors again: Don’t forget about protecting your data . 15 FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: COVID-19’s continued impact on loan markets and the status of federal aid programs . 16 Jamestown Container Corp.: MANUFACTURING: How can manufacturing plants open safely? . 17 Manning & Napier: WEALTH MANAGEMENT: Finding confidence in uncertainty . 18 SWBR Architects: SAFETY: Looking at elders’ housing in a new way . 20 United Way of Greater Rochester: NON-PROFITS: How crisis brings out our strengths . 21 Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP: LEGAL SERVICES: Uncertain times: Protecting your business through contracts in the wake of COVID-19. .22 Group Publisher: Suzanne E. Fischer-Huettner Account Manager: Jean Moorhouse Audience Development Manager: Tracy Bumba Publisher: Kevin Momot Designer: Wendy Martin Editor: Ben Jacobs Design Supervisor: Laura Black Special Products Editor: Dick Moss Assistant Editor: Nicole Sheldon Published by BridgeTower Media SPONSORED CONTENT July 17, 2020 BOUNCE BACK NAVIGATING THE POST-PANDEMIC ECONOMY rbj.net 3 FAMILIES FIRST ACT Employee paid leave as it relates to coronavirus ffective April 1, 2020, of a health care provider), or the federal government care for a child (under 18 years of Eenacted the Families age) whose school or child care First Coronavirus Response provider is closed or unavailable Act (“FFCRA”). Applicable to for reasons related to COVID- employers with less than 500 19. Employees are immediately employees, the FFCRA has two primary components: paid sick eligible for PSL. leave (“PSL”) and expanded Under the eFMLA provisions, Family and Medical Leave eligible employees are entitled Act (“eFMLA”) coverage. The to receive up to 10 weeks of FFCRA is scheduled to expire on paid leave (at 2/3 their regular December 31, 2020. rate of pay) due to a need to Under care for a non-disabled son/ the PSL daughter under the age of 18 provisions, whose school is closed or whose eligible childcare provider is unavailable employees for reasons related to COVID- are entitled 19. Parents with children who Lorisa D. to receive up have disabilities may also be LaRocca to 80 hours entitled to eFMLA leave to care of full pay for their children over age 18 in Partner Woods Oviatt (with a max certain circumstances. Eligible care unavailability if the leave under the State’s COVID sick Gilman LLP of $511/day) employees may combine their requirements would jeopardize leave law, the FFCRA does not because the 2 weeks of PSL and 10 weeks the viability of the business as contain such an exclusion. employee is quarantined of eFMLA leave for a total of 12 a going concern, as defi ned by Therefore, employees who (pursuant to Federal, State, or weeks of paid leave. Employees the regulations. Employees who return from a “hot spot” may be local government order or advice must be employed for at least 30 can tele-work are not eligible for eligible for FFCRA leave during of a health care provider), and/ days before becoming eligible for either PSL or eFMLA leave. their quarantine period. The or experiencing COVID-19 eFMLA leave. Although most employers USDOL has issued very helpful symptoms and seeking a medical Employers whose employees have familiarized themselves guidance regarding the FFCRA diagnosis. Employees are also utilize FFCRA leave are eligible with the FFCRA obligations since which can be found here: entitled to receive up to 80 to receive dollar for dollar tax its enactment, the most recent https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ hours of paid leave at 2/3 their credits, against their payroll issue to arise relates to eligibility whd/pandemic/ff cra-questions. regular rate of up (with a max taxes, in the amount of the for FFCRA leave payments of $200/day) if the employee FFCRA wages paid to such to employees returning from Lorisa D. LaRocca, Esq. is is unable to work because of a employees. Small businesses voluntary trips to states currently Partner in Woods Oviatt bona fi de need to care for an with fewer than 50 employees impacted by Governor Cuomo’s Gilman LLP’s Labor and individual subject to quarantine may qualify for exemption from travel ban. While the Governor Employment Department. She (pursuant to Federal, State, or the requirement to provide leave has specifi cally excluded can be reached at 585-987-2834 local government order or advice due to school closings or child voluntary travel from coverage or [email protected] www.woodsoviattgilman.com 1900 Bausch & Lomb Place | Rochester, NY 14604 | (585) 987-2800 WoodsOviattGilmanLLP woodsoviattgilmanllp @WoodsOviatt woods-oviatt-gilman-llp SPONSORED CONTENT 4 rbj.net BOUNCE BACK NAVIGATING THE POST-PANDEMIC ECONOMY July 17, 2020 OFFICE SAFETY Workplace resiliency: Rethinking workspaces for a better future he COVID-19 pandemic experience for employees. will be better maintained and or nature-based colors and will have a lasting impact Specifi c solutions will vary by last longer. patterns, increases productivity Ton workplace design. industry, type of work, company and employee engagement, while Ofices aren’t going away and size and culture, but should Health Resilience reducing absenteeism, stress and will likely all touch on four categories of The future o ce will need mental fatigue. become a resilience: functional, social, to do more to protect human hybrid that successfully health and psychological. health and safety. We’re fi nding Social Resilience balance the ways to mitigate germs through Social aspects of resilient beneits of Functional Resilience touchless technology, HVAC workplaces are as important as being in the Functional resiliency refers to system improvements and physical. Diverse communities Kelly Jahn, ofice and the critical support of workplace selection of materials. Touchless where people know and respect AIA, IIDA, working elements necessary to keep technology may include hands- each other thrive and bounce from home. NCARB, businesses running amidst free fi xtures and occupancy back quicker from external While what a future pandemic or other sensors throughout an o ce, or stress. By focusing on universal LEED AP, that means disaster. It’s achieved in the controlling shared collaborative design strategies, human factors Interior will vary by way we plan workplaces, select screens, such as conference in design such as proxemics, Architecture and company, we Design Discipline products, and design systems room sign-out, with individual and human diversity we can Lead, Bergmann do know that Associates all workplaces that are easily adaptable to smartphones or voice activation. ensure that the spaces we create need to be change. Additionally, changes to HVAC are socially responsible and more resilient so they’re better Planning adaptable o ces may operations can reduce the risk of functional for all users. prepared for the unexpected. include locating critical services airborne exposures. Mechanical Proxemics, which refers to the The meaning of ‘resiliency’ such as the network system away systems should be evaluated and spatial separation individuals varies across disciplines. Here from exterior walls, applying adjusted to increase fresh air naturally maintain, varies I focus on its application in de-densifi cation strategies and intake, optimize temperature based on environmental and interior architecture and widening circulation pathways, and humidity, eliminate leaks cultural factors and needs to design, an important issue or providing ample space for in ventilation systems, and be analyzed in the wake of the to consider as we learn from video conference rooms to improve air quality through pandemic. This may involve the COVID-19 and prepare for the keep home and o ce workers system fi ltration and cleaning. evaluation of large open spaces future. Together, designers and connected. It also prioritizes a Non-porous materials that where individuals may feel business stakeholders must shift from individual work areas are durable, easily cleaned overexposed, and breaking them look holistically at workplace toward activity-based spaces that and sustainable will support down into smaller spaces that planning to create more resilient, react to employee needs, such occupant health and well-being. feel more secure and still support fl exible, and people-centered as team collaboration, project- Additionally, by providing group gatherings. workplaces that support both based work and other temporary calm, quiet areas and access The use of glass and access employee health and business activities. to outdoor space, employees to natural light create spaces continuity when the next Functional resiliency considers can rest, reset, or concentrate that are more inviting and open disruptive event occurs.