GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING
Today, Governor JB Pritzker‘s briefing focused on a new public relations campaign emphasizing the need of all Illinoisans to do their part in terms of social distancing. The theme is All In Illinois. The goal is to encourage every Illinoisan to practice social distancing and thereby do their part to protect themselves, their loved ones, the immuno-compromised, health sector employees, retail workers, etc. At the website Illinoisans can find a variety of tools to assist them in spreading the message. You can view the website here.
TOMORROW – FMLA & UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEBINAR
IRMA will be hosting an unemployment insurance and paid family leave webinar tomorrow Friday, April 3rd from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Scott Cruz, a highly respected labor attorney with Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, will provide participants with a detailed overview of changes made to unemployment insurance and paid family leave and all the issues surrounding them as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He will also answer some of your questions. Advanced registration is required. You can register for the webinar here.
EMPLOYER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
For your convenience, IRMA created this overview of various financial resourcesavailable to employers. There are many and they are varied. Bottom line: IRMA strongly encourages retailers to review these resources and submit applications ASAP. Even if you ultimately decide not to utilize the assistance, applications will be dealt with as they are received and, particularly as it relates to applications to the SBA, businesses across the nation are applying. If IRMA can be of assistance, please contact Alec Laird.
RETAILERS & SOCIAL DISTANCING
Many public officials are looking for retailers who have not already done so to immediately implement as many measures as they can to encourage consumers to practice social distancing. Building upon the proactive work many of you have already done, IRMA created this best practice guidance. If you have not done so already, retailers, but particularly grocers and convenience stores, are strongly encouraged to implement some or all of these best practices as quickly as possible. You can also find this document and other valuable information on IRMA’s web page. Additionally, yesterday the Illinois Department of Public Health issued a similar but not identical guidance.
IRMA strongly encourages members to review and adopt any best practices they can.
What has become abundantly clear is a one-sized-fits-all approach is counter-productive. Grocers throughout Illinois are experimenting with different approaches. Their experience will help inform everyone. However, what works and doesn’t work will vary a great deal based on sales volume, size of store, flexibility of store’s layout, etc.
INCOME TAX
At the direction of Governor Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Revenue had previously delayed the payment of income tax from April 15th to July 15th. Today, IDOR released guidance for those who must estimate and pay their 2020 income tax. You can view the guidance here.
ILLINOIS UPDATE
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, MD, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health announced 715 new cases in Illinois, including 16 more deaths. Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 7,695 cases, including 157 deaths, in 61 of Illinois’ 102 counties. Additional information can be found here.