Below please find helpful links to executive orders, guidance for new paid leave requirements, small business relief programs, and more. Please keep an eye out for upcoming events and webinars. We will update this page as information becomes available. Please do not hesitate to contact us directly if you need additional information or have questions.
On March 18, 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) passed in the US Senate and was signed into law. Effective as of April 1, 2020, the FFCRA required certain employers (under 500 employees) to provide employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. That requirement expired on December 31, 2020. However, a subsequent Colorado bill, the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, requires that all employers provide up to 80 hours of paid sick leave for leave related to a public health emergency (i.e.COVID-19) as of January 1, 2021. Employers are only responsible for providing the difference between any paid sick leave an employee taking COVID-19 leave has accrued and 80 hours.
For more information click HERE for an article from the law firm Fisher Phillips.
Click HERE for additional guidance from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
Paid Leave and Tax Credit for Small Businesses
To offset the costs of paid time off for leave related to COVID-19, covered employers (under 500 employees) qualify for dollar-for-dollar reimbursement through tax credits for all qualifying wages. NOTE: While the federal requirement to provide paid leave expired on December 31, 2020, covered employers providing such leave remain eligible for federal tax credits through September 30, 2021. Qualifying wages are those paid to an employee who takes leave for qualifying reasons under the FFCRA, up to the appropriate per diem and aggregate payment caps. Applicable tax credits also extend to amounts paid or incurred to maintain health insurance coverage. For more information, please see the Internal Revenue Service’s guidance and FAQs.
CDC, OSHA and EEOC
* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers
* When to Quarantine – CDC Quarantine Guidelines
* OSHA Guidance for Returning to Work
* The EEOC released its updated technical assistance document, which includes information about COVID-19 as it related to the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and other EEO laws. The guidance is updated as of December 16, 2020.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)
* Click HERE for CDPHE’s multi-industry construction guidance. (NOTE: As of May 5, the guidance no longer requires mandatory temperature checks of employees)
* Click HERE for additional guidance for “Field Services”
* Click HERE for a COVID-19 Employee Health Screening Form for Onsite Screening.
* Click HERE for CDPHE’s website demonstrating how to conduct a facility health screening.
Webinars with Fisher Phillips
Rocky Mountain MCA and the MEP Alliance, along with AGC of Colorado, hosted a series of webinars with law firm Fisher Phillips to provide the latest COVID-19 related insights and guidelines for employers.
Webinar Recordings:
* Watch Part One
* Watch Part Two
Webinar FAQs:
* Part One FAQ
* Part Two FAQ
Fisher Phillips Resources
* Fisher Phillips COVID-19 Resource Center
* Summary of the latest federal stimulus plan, the American Rescue Plan
Job Site Safety Best Practices
Rocky Mountain MCA, in collaboration with our general contractor partners, helped develop broad guidelines, recommendations, and best practices for operating job sites effectively and responsibly in the face COVID-19. These guidelines are designed to protect the health and safety of our employees and ensure the continued viability of our job sites. NOTE: These guidelines are not project-specific and each contractor should create site specific plans that address the unique circumstances of each project.
* English
* Spanish
* Payroll Stuffer
Federal Relief Programs
NOTE: Following the passage of the PPP Extension Act of 2021, the SBA will accept new PPP loan applications through May 31, 2021.
SBA Loans for Small Businesses
The SBA provides targeted, low-interest loans to small businesses and private non-profit organizations that have been severely impacted as a direct result of COVID-19. Below are the SBA’s two primary loan programs related to COVID-19:
* Economic Injury Disaster Loan
* Application
* Paycheck Protection Program
* LOAN FORGIVENESS APPLICATION
* The SBA also released a new streamlined “EZ Version” loan forgiveness application for certain borrowers that meet the following criteria:
* Those who are self employed and have no employees.
* Those who did not cut back pay for their employees by more than 25% and did not reduce their head count or workers’ hours’.
* Those who saw a drop in business activity because of health directives related to Covid-19 and did not cut back employees’ pay by more than 25%
* Click HERE for a PPP FAQ guidance from SBA and the US Department of Treasury (Updated October 13, 2020)
State Relief Resources
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT)
* Click HERE for OEDIT’s COVID-19 Business Resource Center, which includes information and links to a wide range of small business resources.
Cigna Resources
* Click HERE to access Cigna’s “Informed on Reform” resource page, which includes useful information on healthcare related aspects to federal relief efforts
* During these challenging times finding childcare solutions can be difficult. Click HERE for a flyer from CIGNA with helpful information and resources to enable you get the childcare help you need.
* Click HERE for CIGNA’s recommended physical, mental, and emotional coping strategies.
* Cigna Podcasts on vaccines, virtual health, and more.
Other Helpful Business Resource Links
* Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce COVID-19 Business Resource Center
* Colorado Small Business Development Center Network (CSBDC)
* State of Colorado COVID-19 Website
State & County Orders
Click HERE to see the current COVID-19 Dial Dashboard level of each Colorado county.
Click HERE for the latest data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Vaccines
* Colorado COVID-19 Vaccination Data
* Vaccine Eligibility Phases
* Colorado Vaccine FAQ
* Vaccine Finder
For municipalities, see this helpful link from the Colorado Municipal League that is tracking actions on the municipality level.
