The Slice gives you all the news you can use. Each issue will include any COVID-19 updates, reopening information, legislative news, and other relevant items for our readers. Please let us know if you'd like to see anything in particular or have other feedback - just email marketing@vrlta.org.
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PPP Round 2 Opened
Generally, eligibility and documentation are similar to the original program, with two major changes:
- Second draw PPP loans are available to businesses that can demonstrate a 25% loss in revenue compared to last year. This may be calculated by comparing the borrower’s quarterly gross receipts for one calendar quarter in 2020 with the corresponding quarter in 2019.
- To be eligible for a second draw loan, the borrower must have used, or will use, the full amount of the first loan on or before the expected disbursal date of the second loan.
- Eligible businesses can have a maximum of 300 employees. Like the original PPP loans, the second draw program retains the unique rules around businesses with a NAICS code beginning in 72, including hotels and restaurants. This means that the 300-employee rule is evaluated on a per-location basis for businesses with more than one physical location. Additionally, the SBA affiliation rules continue to be waived for these businesses, allowing each hotel/restaurant location to apply for a separate PPP loan using its unique EIN.
- Both the maximum loan amount and the payroll amount calculation used to size the loan have changed.
- Hotels and restaurants are now eligible to receive up to 3.5x their monthly payroll costs, up to $2,000,000, as the maximum of the loan, up from 2.5x in the CARES Act and compared to other businesses.
- Payroll for second draw PPP loans is calculated using either the 12-month period prior to the loan being made or the calendar year 2019.
- Businesses that are part of a single corporate group are limited to a maximum of $4,000,000 in aggregate second draw PPP loans. This applies to businesses that are eligible for the affiliation waiver and per-location employee test.
For more details, see these additional resources:
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Weekly Government Affairs Call Every FRIDAY at 2 p.m.
Each Friday at 2 p.m., VRLTA will be hosting our weekly Government Affairs calls. Join us to hear more about VRLTA's legislative priorities, what's happening during the session, and how the Association is supporting or opposing hospitality- and tourism-related legislation.
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VDH Launches Vaccine Rollout Alert Website
VDH has launched a new website where individuals can get more information and sign up for alerts based on their occupation, age, medical history, etc. VRLTA is encouraging ALL INDIVIDUALS to sign up now to get updates and help VDH plan for vaccination efforts.
By signing up, you can see what group you fall into, based on your age, occupation, health concerns, etc., and you will be notified when it is your turn to receive a vaccination.
The state has released additional detailed guidance on who falls into which phase, which can be found here:
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1a includes healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities
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1b includes frontline essential workers, persons aged 75 years+, and people living in correctional facilities, homeless shelters and migrant labor camps. Some food and agriculture workers are included in this group.
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1c includes other essential workers, people aged 65 - 74 years, and people aged 16 - 64 years with a high risk medical condition or disability that increases their risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Food service workers are included in this group.
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More details on essential workers can be found here.
VRLTA is continuing to communicate with the VDH to plan for a coordinated rollout to food service workers and advocate for other workers in the hospitality and tourism sectors.
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Mark Your Calendar! All events are free unless noted
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January 15, 2 p.m. - Weekly Government Affairs Zoom Call (each Friday at 2 p.m. through February 12). Zoom link here.
- January 19, 10-11 a.m. - Webinar presented by VRLTA partner USI: Returning to Work: Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines and the Legal Implications of Mandating Vaccinations. Register here by 1/15/21.
- February 2, 10 a.m. - Webinar for Newport News Restaurants with the Commissioner of Revenue. Register here.
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February 10, 10 a.m. - Webinar Wednesday: How to Gain Organic Traction on Your Instagram Page. Register here. For VRLTA members.
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Virginia Department of Health Guidelines for Employee Testing and Quarantine, Facility Closure
The NRA also updated their safe operating guidance recently. Find that here.
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VRLTA Letter to VDOLI on Adoption of Permanent Standards
The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (VDOLI) adopted an Emergency Temporary Standard related to COVID-19 over the summer. VRLTA was opposed to that regulation because of the burdensome requirements it would place on the already-struggling hospitality and tourism community. Regrettably, the VDOLI is now looking to adopt these COVID-19 regulations as a permanent standard. VRLTA recently sent a letter to VDOLI reiterating our opposition to making the regulations permanent.
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VRLTA Job Board: FREE Listings for VRLTA Members Extended!
Have you posted a job on VRLTA's new job board, focused specifically on our industry?
Employers can list hospitality and tourism jobs, and VRLTA members get unlimited listings for free (choose 30, 60 or 90 days - up to $100 value for each listing!). A 30-day listing for nonmembers is just $50. Job seekers can search jobs statewide and post their resume in the resume bank.
Let VRLTA help your business during this challenging time with a job board focused just on hospitality and tourism jobs. Take advantage of your membership and get free listings through the end of the year. There's no cost or risk to members - why not give it a try?
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Looking for ServSafe Training?
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VRLTA Partner Sysco Offers Restaurants Rising Toolkit
Sysco has great resources available to restaurants through their Restaurant Rising campaign. Learn more here.
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Great Offer from VRLTA Partner MarginEdge
MarginEdge, a VRLTA partner, offers assistance critical to restaurants to save you money and time. Get real-time food and recipe costs, look at actuals vs. theoreticals, manage recipes across teams and locations, automate your invoice processing, and integrate with your POS and accounting systems. Best of all, you can try it FREE until April.
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Want to Ensure You Get All the Info from VRLTA?
As we've moved to our new backend system, we've heard from some of you that you are not receiving emails generated through that system. This is generally occurring for organizations with very strict email protection measures in place. Specifically, if you provide specific IP addresses to your email provider to safelist, you should add the following to the list:
149.72.239.172
198.37.150.213
149.72.188.149
149.72.53.173
Please note that unless you have previously needed to safelist IP addresses for email deliverability, you do not need to take this step now.
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January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month
The AHLA Foundation (AHLAF) has released new resources related to human trafficking:
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“Combatting Trafficking During COVID-19: 5 Ways To Enhance Efforts”: AHLAF teamed up with ECPAT-USA to develop five ways that hotels can enhance efforts to combat human trafficking in light of increasing vulnerabilities from COVID-19.
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ECPAT-USA’s “Unpacking Human Trafficking Vol. 3”, funded by AHLAF, is the latest update in a series of reports providing a summary of the laws of the 50 states relating to the display of human trafficking awareness posters in lodging facilities and the requirement that employees be trained to recognize and handle suspected incidents of human trafficking.
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Webinar Resources...
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National Restaurant Association on-demand webinars on a variety of topics can be found here.
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AHLA also has many on-demand webinars for members. Find them here.
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Got an Innovative Solution for COVID?
Have you implemented something innovative around serving customers during COVID-19? Send us an image and we'll share it on our social accounts.
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