Category: COVID-19
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Flu vs. COVID-19: The Differences & Similarities
Posted on 11.24.2020
Flu season is upon us once again. While in previous years it has been common to experience coughing, sneezing and sniffles during this season, this year brings added layers of stress and worry with COVID-19 concerns. How do you know if the symptoms you or an employee are experiencing can be attributed to the flu … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, Helpful Tips, Proactive Response, Respond & Rebuild
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Guidance on Payroll Tax Deferral Implementation
Posted on 09.28.2020
Employers and employees alike have questions regarding the payroll tax deferral recently enacted by President Trump. Below are the answers to the most common questions we’ve received. How is eligibility for deferral determined? Payroll tax deferral is available to employees who have wages and compensation of less than $4,000 in a given biweekly payroll period … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, Proactive Response, Respond & Rebuild
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FFCRA Paid Leave And The 2020-2021 School Year
Posted on 09.23.2020
The Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was signed into effect by President Donald Trump in March of 2020. Generally speaking, the Act requires employers with fewer than 500 employees provide two different options of emergency paid leave, expanding upon the existing Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to allow employees who need it to care … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, Proactive Response
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PPP Loans Are No Longer Available. Here Are Some Alternatives to Consider.
Posted on 09.17.2020
The deadline to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan was August 8, 2020. If you missed this deadline but still need financial assistance, there are other programs available including the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), as well as number of tax deferral programs created by … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, Helpful Tips, Proactive Response
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Time Tracking & Non-Exempt Employees
Posted on 09.14.2020
Q: How do I verify hours worked from home for an hourly non-exempt employee? A: The amount of technology available concerning the tracking of time can be a little overwhelming. How you track work from home for hourly non-exempt employees will depend in large part on the capabilities of your current payroll system. Some payroll … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19
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How to Handle “Doomsday” Employees
Posted on 09.11.2020
Q: I have a “Doomsday” employee causing stress and frustration; what should I say to them? A: As we have discussed before, fear is easy to come by right now. Everywhere we turn we’re hearing nothing but doom and gloom, so it’s not surprising some employees may be more sensitive to that. The best way … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19
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How To Accommodate Employees Who Wish to Self-Quarantine While Keeping Normal Operations Afloat
Posted on 08.17.2020
Q: Should I accommodate employees who wish to voluntarily self-quarantine, and how do I keep my operations running if multiple employees wish to stay home? A: First, it’s important to stay current on CDC guidelines concerning best practices for employees who’ve been exposed to COVID-19. The CDC has issued new guidance on return-to-work procedures for … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19
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How Do I Adjust My Organizational Structure and the Essential Positions I Need?
Posted on 08.14.2020
Q: How do I adjust my organizational structure and the essential positions I need? A: How do you adjust it? Thoughtfully. And strategy is important. At Achilles Group, we encourage our clients to manage their focus, not their time. If you can identify the priority focus for each role, then determine the time an employee spends … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, Respond & Rebuild
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How to Motivate and Appreciate Your Team During COVID-19
Posted on 08.05.2020
Q: How do I motivate and appreciate my employees during this difficult time? A: The number one employee motivator or incentive businesses think of is money. And honestly, money does have an immediate impact to reward and recognize employees. However, money only motivates people for a short period of time because when you get more … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, Proactive Response
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How to Deal with Sickness at Work During COVID-19
Posted on 07.31.2020
Q: An employee tells others “Go home so you don’t get everyone sick.” How do I handle this? A: Now that we know more about the symptoms of COVID-19, there are some pretty well-known expectations that have been set. An employer should post that if you’re having symptoms (coughing, feeling sick, running a fever, etc.), … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, Proactive Response
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How To Keep Your Team Engaged While Working Remotely
Posted on 07.22.2020
Engagement is more difficult when you can’t do it face-to-face. We lose a lot of our communication capabilities when we’re not together in person. Ninety-three percent of how we communicate is through our tone and our body language. While working remotely does make it difficult sometimes to engage, there are creative ways to connect with … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, Proactive Response
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Emergency Sick Pay & Documentation: What You Need To Know
Posted on 07.15.2020
The answer to this question is both yes, and no. It’s important to note that there are six reasons you can qualify for Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL), part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA): The employee is subject to a federal, state or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID–19. The employee … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, Compliance, HR Risk Mitigation, Proactive Response
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Important Texas Workforce Commission Updates
Posted on 07.06.2020
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) recently posted some important updates regarding work search requirements for those collecting unemployment. The June 30th announcement states that it will delay the reinstatement of the work search requirement for unemployment benefits in Texas. This requirement, which is federal law, was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From the outset, TWC has stated … Continue reading
Posted in Breaking News, COVID-19, HR Risk Mitigation, Proactive Response, Respond & Rebuild, Texas News
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Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act: Answering Your Frequently Asked Questions
Posted on 06.15.2020
The recently created Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (PPPFA) addresses several concerns expressed by businesses regarding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). While the PPP loans were met with great enthusiasm, the program’s rollout left many concerned about the possibility of being unable to meet the requirements for full loan forgiveness. Below is a summary of … Continue reading
Posted in Breaking News, COVID-19, Helpful Tips, Proactive Response, Respond & Rebuild
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Apache Services COVID-19 Decontamination Service Testimonial
Posted on 05.20.2020
As we ease into reopening the office, Achilles Group team members have been brainstorming ways to safely make the transition back into office life. When we learned that one of our clients, Apache Services, Inc., offers COVID-19 Decontamination services, our team member Dan Calvert scheduled them to clean the office. The results are impressive and … Continue reading
Posted in Announcements, COVID-19, Helpful Tips, Respond & Rebuild
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Harris County Face Mask Ordinance FAQs
Posted on 04.27.2020
Monday, April 27 marks the first day of the Harris County face mask ordinance. Below are some answers to frequently asked questions about the ordinance: What is the new mandatory face mask mandate? On Wednesday, April 22 Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo officially announced an order requiring face coverings on most county residents who … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, Respond & Rebuild
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Small Business Debt Relief Program
Posted on 04.21.2020
Does the CARES Act provide debt relief if I already have SBA loans? Yes. The CARES Act provides immediate relief to small businesses with non-disaster SBA loans. Under this provision, the SBA will cover all loan payments on qualifying SBA loans to include principal, interest, and fees for a period of six months. Do the … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19
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Emergency Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program and Emergency Economic Injury Grants
Posted on 04.21.2020
What provisions does the CARES Act make through the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) Program and Emergency Economic Injury Grants? EIDLs are low-interest loans of up to $2 million, with principal and interest deferment at the Administrator’s discretion. They are available to pay for expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19
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Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) FAQs
Posted on 04.09.2020
What is the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)? The Paycheck Protection Program makes loans of up to $10 million available to qualified small businesses. These loans are intended to be forgivable if the borrower maintains employees and otherwise complies with the CARES Act. At this time, Congress has appropriated $349 billion for this program with the … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19
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Achilles Tools to Help you with the Family First Coronavirus Response Act
Posted on 04.02.2020
As of Wednesday, April 1, the FFCRA is in effect and we all must comply with the provisions for both the EFMLEA and the EPSLA. If you do not know what these all involve by now, please give us a call and we can help you catch up to the details. And for those of … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, HR Risk Mitigation, Proactive Response