The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved the state of Ohio’s application to qualify for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Small businesses and nonprofits in Ohio can now apply for up to $2 million in low-interest loans at DisasterLoan.SBA.gov.

This bill responds to the coronavirus outbreak by providing paid sick leave and free coronavirus testing, expanding food assistance and unemployment benefits, and requiring employers to provide additional protections for healthcare workers.

There is truly an overload of information coming at all of us daily. As for the Sick Leave and Family Medical Leave Act there have been some clarifications in the last two days. First and most important is that the Governors order to “Stay at Home” will not qualify as a quarantine. So the only employees that will qualify are those sick from the virus, caring for someone sick or needed to stay at home to care for their children because they have lost their day care services. Also it appears that the employee must be employed on the effective date of the of the new law, which is to be 4/2/20 or sooner. The DOL will announce this date. So if someone is already unemployed before this date it looks like they will not qualify.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services in instructing Ohio employers planning layoffs or shutdowns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to share the following mass lay-off number with their employees to speed the processing of unemployment benefits: 2000180.

 

Ohioans can apply for unemployment online at unemployment.ohio.gov.  You can also file by phone at (877) OHIO-JOB (1-877-644-6562) Employers with questions should email UCTech@jfs.ohio.gov

 

 

 

The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved the state of Ohio’s application to qualify for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Small businesses and nonprofits in Ohio can now apply for up to $2 million in low-interest loans at DisasterLoan.SBA.gov.

SharedWork Ohio is a voluntary layoff aversion program.  It allows workers to remain employed and employers to retain trained staff during times of reduced business activity.  The participating employee works the reduced hours each week, and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services provides eligible individuals an unemployment insurance benefit proportionate to their reduced hours.