COVID-19 Resources

We will be keeping this page updated to include educational resources on how your business can prepare for and understand the impact of COVID 19 in the workplace.

Corporate & Business Law

• Behind the Shield: Some States Enact COVID-19 Liability Immunity Laws to Protect Re-Opening Businesses – read now
• Much Needed Financial Assistance for Restaurants, Eateries and Breweries – read now
• Employee Retention Tax Credit Update – read now
• New Executive Order and the Payroll Tax Deferral – watch now
• New Appeal Process Established by the SBA for PPP Loan Forgiveness Determinations – read now
• Business Interruption Insurance Coverage – read now
• 2020 is Seeing Unprecedented Bankruptcies Due to COVID-19 – read now
• Effect of COVID Shutdown Order on Restaurant’s Obligation to Pay Rent – read now
• Employer Leave Donation Programs Benefiting COVID-19 Victims (IRC §170) – read now
• Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act Grants Necessary Relief – read now
• The New Normal: Resuming Jewelry Operations After COVID-19 – watch now
• Hit the Ground Running: Tactics for Re-Opening During COVID-19 – watch now
• What to do When a Bankruptcy Calls: A Pandemic Primer – read now
• Loss Business Coverage Insurance: A COVID-19 Legal Battleground – read now
• COVID-19 and Your Commercial Lease – read now
• How the CARES Act Helps with Retirements Charitable Giving – read now
• Paycheck Protection Program FAQ for Borrowers – read now
• Paycheck Protection Program Loans Under the CARES Act – read now
• Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Relief Programs – read now
• Small Business Administration: Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program FAQ – read now
• March 23, 2020: Interpretative Guidance for COVID-19 – read now
• Guidance on Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers from CISA – read now
• Guidance Released from the EEOC – read now
• Coronavirus: U.S. Government’s Power to Handle a Public Health Crisis – read now

Employment & Labor Law

• Important Federal Government Contractor Mandatory Vaccine Update – read now
• OSHA Withdraws Vaccine Mandate for Large Private Employers – read now
• Aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Vaccination Rulings – read now
• When is COVID-19 Considered a “Disability” Under the ADA: New Guidance from the EEOC – read now
• What’s the Status of the Vaccine Mandate for Companies with 100 or more Employees? – read now
• Vaccine Mandate News Update: Court Actions and Contractor On-Site Protocol – read now
• Federal Contractor FAQ: Vaccine Exemption Compliance – read now
• Important Federal Contractor Mandatory Vaccine Updates – read now
• Federal Government Contractor Mandatory Vaccine Update – read now
• Shot, Swab, or Scram? The Biden Administrations New Vaccine Requirement – read now
• New COVID Compliance for Government Contractors – read now
• OSHA Issues Modified COVID Guidance – read now
• American Rescue Act Expands FFCRA Leave Allotment – read now
• Webinar – New Year, New You, Same COVID-19: Navigating the Latest Coronavirus Developments in the New Year – watch now
• OSHA Issues Guidance on Preventing Workplace Spread of COVID-19 – read now
• Update – FFCRA May be Voluntarily Extended by Employers Until March 31, 2021 – read now
• EEOC Issues Updated Guidance on Vaccinations Under the ADA, Title VII and the GINA – read now
• Can, and Should, Employers Mandate COVID-19 Vaccines? – read now
• FFCRA Expires on December 31, 2020 – What Comes Next for Employers? – listen now
• Are Your Employees Spreading Holiday Cheer or COVID-19? – read now
• Reopening Safely – Protecting Your Employees and Your Bottom Line – read now
• Telework During Pandemic Does Not Set Precedent – read now
• If My Employees CHOOSE to Keep Their Kids Home From School for Remote Learning, Do I Have to Hold Open Their Jobs? The DOL Provides New Guidance – read now
• What? New FMLA Forms? When Did That Happen? – read now
• Managing Remote Employees in a Post-COVID World – watch now
• What Does it Mean to Disinfect the Workplace? – read now
• Reopening Safely – Protecting Employees and Protecting Your Bottom Line – read now
• It’s Not Too Late To Post This DOL Required Notice – read now
• Moving Forward – What Does Stage One of the Reopening Plans Look Like for Employers? – read now
• Terp Talk: Business as (Un)Usual – Advice for Employers Responding to COVID-19 – watch now
• All You Need to Know on the Latest with COVID-19  – watch now
• DOL Issues Regulations Clarifying Eligibility for Paid Leave Under the FFCRA – read now
• What Documentation Do Employers Need to Obtain Tax Credits Under the FFCRA? – read now
• COVID-19 – Layoffs, Furloughs and RIFs, Oh My – read now
• The Coronavirus: Balancing Calm Amidst Panic in the Workplace – watch now
• Q&A – The Families First Coronavirus Response Act – read now
• FAQ: Coronavirus – Employer Best Practices – read now

Construction Law

• Avoid Being Dragged Down by Supply Chain Disruptions – read now
• Dealing with the Construction Impacts of COVID-19 – read now
• Economic Toll of the Pandemic – read now
• Does COVID-19 Give Rise to an Impossibility Defense? – read now
• Construction & COVID-19 – watch now
• Special Edition of Surety Today – Sureties Battling the Coronavirus – listen now
• Coronavirus on the Construction Site – read now

Family Law

• Update – To Vaccinate Your Child or Not: Taking a Shot at Reducing the Risk of COVID-19 – read now
• To Vaccinate Your Child or Not: Taking a Shot at Reducing the Risk of COVID-19 – read now
• Controlling Your Destiny: The Rise of Online Mediations – read now
• All Kidding Aside, Pick Up the Phone When Your Ex Calls! – read now
  Having ‘The Talk’ During Quarantine – read now
• Anticipating the Effect of the Coronavirus on Divorce – read now
• Co-Existing During COVID-19 – read now
• Consider (or Reconsider) a Prenuptial Agreement if Your Wedding Is on Hold During the Coronavirus Pandemic – read now
• Consider the Collaborative Law Process During the Coronavirus Pandemic – read now
• Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together During the Coronavirus Pandemic – read now
• Navigating Child Access Schedules During the Coronavirus Pandemic – read now
• Getting Divorced During the Coronavirus Pandemic – read now

Insurance Law

• Does My Insurance Cover COVID-19? – read now

State-specific and Other Updates

• Maryland State Income Tax Filing Extension Announced – read now
• Proof of Vaccination Replaces Bans on U.S. International Travel – read now
• An End to Maryland’s State of Emergency – read now
• Update: Virginia Governor Northam Executive Order No. 53 (2020) – read now

Corporate & Business Law

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 includes the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which allows restaurants to qualify for grants of up to $10 million for pandemic recovery. – Read Now

Employee Retention Tax Credit Update

The 2020 ERTC was recently expanded with the passing of the 2021 ERTC, providing different options for eligible employers to receive refundable tax credits due to effects from the pandemic. – Read now.

New Appeal Process Established by the SBA for PPP Loan Forgiveness Determinations

A new appeal process will help you determine how you can start the PPP Loan Forgiveness process for your business. – Read now.

Don’t give up on business interruption insurance coverage. A recent ruling found that COVID-19 can give rise to property loss and damage – Read now.

We all felt the quarantine pinch in our wallets but here is what some businesses had to during the pandemic. – Read now.

Many restaurant owners are dealing with these issues across the country. – Read now.

The IRS provided guidance for employees who forgo sick, vacation, or personal leave because of COVID-19. – Read now.

New updates to the Paycheck Protection Program can help your business out. – Read now.

Will your business be ready? Join WCS attorneys and Harry Plack from the Plack Group for insights. – Watch now | Read the transcript

The knowledge of the bankruptcy process will help your company fight back. Read more.

Affected businesses are certainly looking for ways to maximize the money coming in to keep businesses open or viable during this extended period of uncertainty. Of course, many businesses have multiple insurance policies in their filing cabinets to call upon in a variety of situations. Here are what options you have. Read more.

Landlords and tenants of commercial space (whether office, retail, warehouse, or otherwise) are facing their own set of challenges. Many tenant businesses are operating at greatly reduced levels, and many others are not operating at all, whether due to governmental restrictions, market conditions, or some combination of these and other factors. Read more.

On March 27th, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”). The CARES Act provides some financial assistance for individuals as well as businesses. Here are a few samplings this week. Read more.

The Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) authorizes up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses to pay their employees during the COVID-19 crisis. All loan terms will be the same for everyone. Read more frequently asked questions.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was signed into law on Friday, March 27, 2020. One key aspect of the CARES Act is the introduction of the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”), which allocates $349 billion in funding in order to prevent job loss and small business failure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.

The State of Maryland is taking unprecedented measures to help small businesses weather the current economic storm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.

The U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) provides low-interest, long-term disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners, and renters to repair or replace uninsured/underinsured disaster damaged property. For economic disasters, such as the one created by the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”) to small businesses in order to provide for the continuity of business operations. SBA disaster loans offer an affordable way for individuals and businesses to recover from declared disasters, such as the COVID-19 disaster. Read more about the loans.

As of March 23, 2020, Governor Hogan amended and restated his previous order in order to close all non-essential businesses and other establishments. The Office of Legal Council has provided their Interpretive Guidance of the referenced order: click here to see complete document.

With Governor Hogan’s directive this morning that non-essential businesses must close at 5:00 pm, there have been many questions on how to determine if your business is considered essential. The Interpretive Guidance on the Governor’s Order is found here and it lists types of businesses which are and are not considered essential. Generally, the Order refers people to the U.S Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) provided a memorandum to help identify essential critical infrastructure workers on March 19, 2020.

The memorandum identifies essential critical infrastructure workers in the following sectors: Healthcare/Public Health; Law Enforcement, Public Safety, First Responders; Food and Agriculture; Energy; Water and Wastewater; Transportation and Logistics; Public Works; Communications and Information Technology; Other Community-Based Government Operations and Essential Functions; Critical Manufacturing; Hazardous Materials; Financial Services; Chemical Supply Chains; and Defense Industrial Base. You can find the complete memorandum here: Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 Response.

What You Should Know About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19? The EEOC has released the guidelines available here.

Lately, there has been no shortage of news surrounding Coronavirus and its potential impact on the United States. When it comes to responding to a public health crisis, who is responsible for spearheading the response here in the United States? Like many legal questions, the answer is complicated. Click here to read more.

Employment & Labor Law

Here’s some updated guidance to help you reopen safely. Read now.

Here’s what the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said on whether telework was here to stay as a workplace accommodation.  Read now.

Here’s some guidance to help you navigate the complexities of balancing remote workers with children at home. Read now.

The news of the pandemic may have caused you to miss these FMLA updates. Read now.

Do you have a regimen in place to disinfect to protect your employees when they return to the office? Read now.

What should your business be considering as the government eases restrictions? Read now.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act is in effect now through December 31st – have you provided this notice to your employees? Read now.

What does stage one look like for businesses and how we pick up the pieces and move forward? Read now.

Employers now have clearer direction as to what absences will qualify for the paid leave, and subsequent tax credits, under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA). Read more.

Employers cannot simply file a form without having supporting documents to substantiate the additional emergency compensation paid to employees under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA). Read more.

Employers everywhere are being forced to make tough choices due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). For many, unfortunately, orders to close nonessential businesses, reduced demand, or concerns related to social distancing have created a situation where layoffs, reductions in force, or furloughs are necessary or may become necessary. For those employers considering a reduction in force, it is imperative that you develop a clear plan for any layoffs so that the decisions made to save your business now do not destroy it in six months due to lawsuits or administrative charges. Read about what you can do now.

WCS attorneys recently joined Business Benefits Group for a complimentary, one-hour webinar to help employers better understand and prepare their responses to the coronavirus.

Late on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, the Senate passed a modified version of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which was quickly signed into law by President Trump. To help employers comply with the new law, we’ve prepared the following Q&A about the new law’s requirements. Click here to read them.

Construction Law

Learn about the new DFARS provision increasing the 8(a) sole source contract threshold. Read now.

Here’s how the pandemic is affecting the construction industry and looking at what toll might continue to take on the economy in the short term. Read now.

Any business finding itself in a contract that it cannot complete due to COVID-19 should consider asserting an impossibility defense.  Read now.

The webinar includes a panel of experts to help you navigate the legal, financial and business challenges of COVID-19. They discuss state and federal programs and specific COVID-19 regulations affecting the industry. Watch now.

Construction projects are coming to a halt but what does that mean for your contracts and sureties? In this special episode of Surety Today – our surety and fidelity team dives in on the impact of this pandemic on sureties. Listen now.

Construction projects (people working in close quarters with not-yet-installed sanitation) can be breeding grounds for germs and viruses in general, but the potential pandemic presented by novel COVID-19, or the coronavirus, making its way around the world right now can make you feel like your project itself is afflicted.

Within the realm of possibility if illness continues to spread are these troubling scenarios:

• Material and equipment delays, shortages, and cancellations
• Community spread of the virus within your workforce causing mass absence
• Quarantines that prevent your workers from reporting to the jobsite
• School closures that force your workers to stay home and supervise their children

All of these potential problems lead to one costly place – delays. Let’s consider each of the issues you may face during this time of uncertainty. Click here to read more.

Family Law

There’s an option to resolve your family matters at home, literally. Read more.

All Kidding Aside, Pick Up the Phone When Your Ex Calls!

The Governor of New York suggests that you shouldn’t answer the phone if your ex calls, but we beg to differ. Read more.

Coming to terms on your divorce may be the best thing you can do for your relationship. Read more.

Getting divorce now has a new set of challenges because of COVID-19. Read more.

Being confined with partners may present some challenges but there are solutions. Read more.

As we enter the season of weddings – a lot of couples are finding themselves having to reschedule plans. Here’s what you should also be reconsidering. Read more.

There are many benefits to settling a family law dispute as opposed to having a judge make a decision at the conclusion of a contested trial. One of ways to achieve this is through the collaborative law process. Read more.

On a recent Sunday morning news program, there was a segment about the rise in sales of puzzles during the COVID-19 pandemic. So what does this have to do with family law? Read more.

Families that have experienced a separation or divorce are now having to decide how best to maintain or modify child access schedules in light of the pandemic and the unique risks it creates for children moving between the homes of two parents. Read more.

Social distancing is an intense experience, which fills me with gratitude and laughter, as well as fear, frustration, and anxiety. When is this pandemic and its effects going to end? Read more on how to handle this sticky situation.

Insurance Law

If you own or operate a small business, these are some of the types of coverages and policy provisions you may want to review immediately. Read more.

State-Specific and Other Updates

NEW UPDATE: Governor Ralph Northam has just ordered restrictions on non-emergent medical procedures following his new restrictions issued 11:59 PM on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Read more about what the restrictions may mean for you.