The guidance from New York State for the operations of golf courses have been revised, relaxing the rules throughout the state. The following was removed from the guidance: ”However, golf courses are not essential and cannot have employees working on-premise; notwithstanding this restriction, essential services, such as groundskeeping to avoid hazardous conditions and security, provided…

The State Liquor Authority continues to receive complaints from local officials about licensees being open in violation of the Governor’s NY on Pause order and they’re taking action against operators who ignore warnings about violating these rules: SLA ISSUES EMERGENCY SUSPENSION FOR LOCKPORT BAR SLA ISSUES EMERGENCY SUSPENSION FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY BAR SLA ISSUES EMERGENCY…

Renewal Fees for Bars, Restaurants and Manufacturers Extended to July 31st The State Liquor Authority (SLA) today announced an extension until July 31 of its policy to defer payments of license renewal fees for bars, restaurants and manufacturers. The extension of the policy, implemented to help reduce the COVID-19 pandemic-created economic pressure faced by New…

ALBANY – Small businesses, the backbone of the New York State economy, turned to state lawmakers Wednesday to complain about federal Covid-19 economic response efforts and to urge Albany not to make matters worse through new regulations or laws as the state looks to partially restart sectors of the economy…read on

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Cuomo has expanded diagnostic testing criteria to include more frontline New York workers. The expanded criteria will now allow all first responders, health care workers and essential employees to be tested for COVID-19 even if they aren’t symptomatic. The state will continue to expand testing criteria as testing capacity…

Governor Cuomo provided the first look at his plan for reopening the State recently establishing a four phase strategy that delays opening restaurants and bars until phase three. The plan uses objective health data to determine when a region may begin the process of reopening, with the earliest date a region can begin the reopening…

Business owners should consider the benefits of the Shared Work Program in bringing back staff after being allowed to reopen. The Shared Work Program gives employers an alternative to laying off employees when they have a downturn in business. Rather than laying off a percentage of the workforce to cut costs, an employer can reduce…

No other industry has been hit harder by the coronavirus than restaurants. The impact of the restaurant industry cannot be understated – restaurant sales exceed the agriculture, airline, railroad, ground transportation, and spectator sports industries combined.  Yet, restaurants will be one of the slowest industries to bounce back from the effects of this pandemic. The…

Governor Cuomo has arranged for the donation of 900,000 masks for food service and delivery workers in order to help stop the spread of Covid-19 and to protect these frontline workers who are providing an essential service to New Yorkers. We’re partnering with the State Liquor Authority to get these masks out to those who…

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced that the New York State Common Retirement Fund (the Fund) is putting $50 million toward the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a component of the latest coronavirus relief package. Under the PPP, employers can secure loans that will be forgiven by the federal government if employees…

The New York State Department of Labor is reminding employers that they are required by law (12 NYCRR § 472.8) to provide the following information to employees whose work schedule and/or employment status has been impacted by COVID-19 related issues, in order to help them promptly complete an unemployment insurance benefits application: NYS Employer Registration…

Governor Cuomo provided the first look at his plan for reopening the State recently establishing a four phase strategy that delays opening restaurants and bars until phase three. The plan uses objective health data to determine when a region may begin the process of reopening, with the earliest date a region can begin the reopening…