A Message from KY Chamber President Ashli Watts Regarding COVID-19

As more actions are taken to combat the threat of COVID-19, businesses will continue to face uncertainty. I want to let you know personally that we are here to help you and will do everything we can to ensure we get through this together and recover quickly.

ASK US A QUESTION

We encourage you to ask any business-related questions you may have about the coronavirus and its impact on you and your employees on our website here.

Click Here To Ask Us A Question

You can find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about unemployment benefits, small business loans, working from home, canceling/postponing events, and more here.

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

We also want to hear from you about the steps you are taking internally to comply with the new reality we face as business leaders in Kentucky. We ask that you take just a few moments to fill out this survey to tell us about how you are being impacted and what best practices you are implementing.

This survey will close at midnight on Wednesday, March 18th and we will then compile the information to share with employers, employees and policy makers across the state. In the coming weeks and months, we will continue to take the pulse of the business community on this issue in order to provide assistance.

Take the Coronavirus Business Impact Survey

Now, for the latest news.

STATE POLICIES

Tuesday evening, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced facilities like gyms, salons, movie theaters, concert venues, sporting event facilities, and others will have to close by 5 pm EST today in an effort to promote social distancing because of the coronavirus.

He stated businesses like grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, banks, hotels, auto repair, hardware, vets, warehouses, and some others can remain open. Beshear warned that if people do not continue to follow the social distancing guidelines that have been laid out, things will have to evaluated further in these areas. On Tuesday alone over 9,000 Kentuckians had filed for unemployment insurance. The typical weekly average is less than 2,000. Learn more about this announcement, other measures implemented at the state level to flatten the curve, and Gov. Beshear’s comments about what should be done about the 2020 legislative session currently in progress on The Bottom Line.

Kentucky’s General Assembly is still in session working on the state’s next two-year state budget. This is their constitutional duty as our elected officials and the current budget ends in July 2020. There is still confusion about what comes next. But as your advocate in Frankfort, we want to ensure you we are still working with lawmakers on a daily basis to protect your interests.

FEDERAL RELIEF

Congress is working on passing a bill to bring relief to employers, employees, and all Americans during this trying time. The bill includes mandatory sick leave, family and medical leave, unemployment insurance, and other forms of assistance for employees at companies with 500 or less employees and government employers. Companies paying these benefits during this time would be paid back in full by the federal government through tax credits.

To get details about who qualifies for these benefits, what it looks like for employers, and where the bill stands in the legislative process, visit our news site, The Bottom Line.

HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ECONOMY

We are stronger together. More than half our members at the Kentucky Chamber are small businesses. We realize you are being hit the hardest during this time.

Below is some information about how you can make a positive impact on your local economies and help our fellow business owners during this trying time:

OUR PRACTICES AT THE KENTUCKY CHAMBER

Finally, we know that many tough decisions are being faced by each of you and your diverse businesses. It is difficult to make the choices of who can work from home and how, what lost revenue from events looks like for your bottom line, and when to make the heartbreaking decisions that impact the lives of your valued employees. We understand.

I, personally, wanted to let you know about some of the changes we have made in our environment in hopes it will help your company.

We are requiring that employees who feel ill do not come to work.
We are ensuring employees are able to work remotely and are using technology such as Zoom to stay connected.
We are asking that all employees wash their hands thoroughly and follow CDC guidelines to prevent illness.
We are ensuring our office space is deep cleaned and sanitized.
We have postponed in-person group meetings and events in an effort to flatten the Coronavirus curve.
We are restricting employee out-of-state travel.
We have closed our office to outside meetings and visitors.
We have rescheduled ALL upcoming events and seminars.
We are encouraging all employees and investors to continue to support our local businesses to minimize the impact on our local economy.
MORE RESOURCES

The Kentucky Chamber is dedicated to helping all businesses navigate these uncertain times. We will continue to send you daily updates with all the latest information available. In the meantime, we encourage you to visit kychamber.com/coronavirus and kychamberbottomline.com and feel free to reach out to members of our team for any help you need.