The Slice gives you all the news you can use. Each issue will include the latest news, COVID-19 updates, 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.

Now available to VRLTA members: individual and family health insurance. Your part-time and full-time team members can now access affordable personal health insurance directly by visiting www.hospitality-health.com/VRLTA.

Additionally, starting April 1, 2021, consumers enrolling in this coverage will be able to take advantage of lower premiums and access to financial assistance offered as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) of 2021.

ARP also created a special enrollment period which runs through 8/15/21 that allows for consumers to enroll and access financial assistance. Typically, outside of open enrollment (which in most states is 11/1 – 12/15), people could only enroll if they had a qualifying life event (married, divorced, birth, death in the family, loss of existing health coverage, etc.). This special enrollment period allows them to enroll without such event. 

Individual and family plans require no employer participation or contributions. All you need to do is share this information with your team members who may not have health insurance coverage so they can participate by visiting www.hospitality-health.com/VRLTA or calling (866) 311-1938.

AHLA's Empowering Youth Program announces Relay It Forward partnership

Created by the American Hotel & Lodging Foundation, the Empowering Youth Program identifies recruits for entry-level hotel positions and pairs them with local community organizations to receive on-the-job training. The Youth Program just announced a sizable boost in a new financial partnership called Relay It Forward, a giveback program in which the voice-first communications company Relay will cover the cost of a young hotel employer’s training and development in exchange for a contract by a hotel with Relay.

For every purchase of Relay push-to-talk devices by a hotel, the software company will sponsor a hotel employee’s training and development provided by the Foundation’s Empowering Youth Program. The new partnership aims to prepare the next generation of hotel employees with additional job skills at a time when the industry is beginning to recover from COVID-19 and recruit employees back into the industry.

New VRLTA Webinar Wednesday - Learn more about hiring Veterans

VRLTA is continuing our webinar series on June 23 at 10 a.m. Jasmine Gore, Central Virginia Regional Program Manager for the Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Program, will share information about a FREE state certification program for employers. The V3 Program not only aims to educate and train companies on why it is a good business decision to recruit, hire, train, and retain Veterans, but also to help those committed companies meet their hiring goals.

Virginia has a unique opportunity to help Veterans gain career employment. Our Commonwealth has one of the youngest Veteran population in the United States, and the fastest growing Veteran labor force in the United States. Thousands of new Veterans enter Virginia’s workforce each year, and that number is projected to rise in the coming years. While many employers are unaware of the value Veterans can bring to their workforce, thousands more are seeking to hire Veterans as a part of their workforce but don’t know how. To date, over 2,000 Virginia employers are V3 members, of which 1,400 employers have hired over 81,000 Veterans!

Mark Your Calendar!

AHLA has some upcoming member events that may be of interest to you...

VRLTA is pleased to partner with Mike King for an upcoming radio event on June 21, from 5 - 7 a.m. on ESPN Richmond 106.1 and from 2 - 3 p.m. on The Choice 106.1. We'll take a look at what's happening in the industry and what the future holds. Expert guests include Carl Knoblock, District Director for Virginia for the Small Business Administration; Katherine O'Donnell, Executive Vice President of Richmond Region Tourism; Chef Robin Carter; Brunswick AgNCulture; and more to be announced. Listen in!

VRLTA recently received grant funding from GO Virginia Region 4 and local partners to create a free job training and upskilling program. In addition, some funds will be used to promote VRLTA's hospitality industry job board. See the press release here. Key details of the program include:

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. Take advantage of your membership and get free listings. There's no cost or risk to members -give it a try!

Watch for the Zoom information tomorrow morning.

Action Alert! Save Hotel Jobs Act Update

AHLA and Unite Here have joined forces to save hotels and hotel jobs. The organizations have been working for months on the Save Hotel Jobs Act. The bill provides a lifeline to hotel workers and hoteliers, providing critical assistance to bring back workers and to help bridge the gap until travel returns. While leisure travel is resuming, business travel -- the largest source of hotel revenue -- is down 85% and is not expected to return soon. Full recovery is not expected until 2024. To gain support for this bill so it has a chance of becoming law, your help is needed. Contact your legislators using this quick form today!

Action Alert! Sign on to support VRLTA's funding request to help hospitality and tourism

VRLTA recently submitted a request to the general assembly asking for comprehensive support for tourism and hospitality. The request totals over $273 million. See the proposal here. To show the General Assembly that our request has widespread support, we are asking members and others in the industry to sign on to the request. You can do that in less than 2 minutes by filling out this quick form. Thank you to all who have already signed on (over 230 organizations!); if you haven't yet had a chance, please take a minute to advocate for tourism and hospitality.

We want to share your story! Each week, we highlight a member on our social media accounts, and it could be you! Tell us what's special or new about your organization, why you joined VRLTA, and what benefits you like. Want to have a chance to be featured? Fill out this quick form for us. Thanks!