L.E.A.R.N: COVID-19 Business Readiness Webinar Series - Employers’ Rights, Responsibilities and Strategies During COVID-19

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has arrived in Tompkins County and many businesses are asking critical questions. Questions like: How can we keep our workplaces safe and clean? How can we accommodate changes in employee needs, like having to work remotely? And how might this impact my business and our economy? What can I do to keep my business running?

With strong commitments to community partnership and public impact, the Tompkins Chamber and Cornell University are collaborating to help you answer questions, and carry on with your business throughout this epidemic. Join community and business leaders for a webinar series, hosted by Cornell faculty from the Law School and the SC Johnson College of Business, offering best practices and answering questions on health, safety and business considerations, and the economy as a whole. 

Our second webinar will be Friday, April 3 from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm with a focus on Employers’ Rights, Responsibilities and Strategies During COVID-19. The webinar will be available via Zoom and hosted by Celia Bigoness, Associate Clinical Professor at Cornell Law School, and four 3rd-year Cornell Law School students who have been providing pro bono legal assistance to small businesses in Tompkins County: Saqeef Ahmad, Jennifer Chu (JD/MBA), Nicole Gould and Nayanthika Ramakrishnan.
 
The webinar will summarize employers’ rights and responsibilities under the law, including both the recently passed federal CARES Act and new New York state laws and regulations. Specific issues to be covered include

• Employees’ rights to paid and unpaid leave,
• Transitioning employees from salaried to hourly status,
• Assisting employees in filing for unemployment insurance,
• Continuation of employee healthcare benefits following termination
• Visa options for immigrant employees.

The webinar will also discuss the privacy concerns that may arise under both federal and state laws when employers attempt to screen employees for COVID-related health issues, and will provide practical tips for what questions employers can (and cannot) ask their employees.

Please feel free to visit the Chamber's COVID-19 Business Resources page where you will find up to date information and tools to help you, your business/organization, and your employees. Additional information can also be found on the new Cornell CALS COVID-19 site where they are maintaining a FAQs page that is monitored and updated constantly.

Any additional questions please contact info@tompkinschamber.org or 607-273-7080.