How to Determine Your Workplace Vaccination Policy As COVID-19 vaccines begin to become available for working-age people—first for those in healthcare, then those in other “frontline” occupations, then for those at risk due to medical conditions, and finally for the general 18-to-64 population—can employers implement mandatory vaccination policies? In general,…
Chicago Business Attorney Blog
Small Businesses Have New Federal Reporting Requirements
CTA – Federal Reporting Requirements for Small Business The paper work for many small businesses will be increasing. Many small businesses with 20 or fewer employees and $5 million or less in gross receipts or sales will be subject to new federal reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”),…
Small Business Second PPP Loans & Grants
Small Business Pandemic Survival Information The $900 billion pandemic relief package included relief for Small Businesses. The updated programs are intended to make it easier for small business owners to apply and gain funds. The Small Business Administration (“SBA”) approved $5 billion in new Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans on…
Preparing for 2021
How to Prepare for 2021 Wow, 2020 was a year to forget! I hesitate to say it was interesting because it was not. It was more like a nightmare as we coped with a public health crisis, an economic crisis, a political crisis, and a civil rights crisis. Let’s put…
Employers Can Require a COVID Vaccine
Employees can be required to vaccinate. The federal government has stated that workers can be barred from work if they refuse the vaccine. Employers can make a COVID vaccination a condition of employment. But, employers must also consider exemptions for employees with disabilities or religious objections. After a long delay…
Text Messaging Approved for Illinois Courts
December 9. The Illinois Supreme Court approved a new rule which authorizes any Illinois court to develop and use a text message notification system. Amended Rule 14 is effective immediately and the full text of the rule can be viewed here. This is part of an effort by the Illinois…
CoronaVirus Pandemic FAQs for Business and Property Owners
Updated December 7 The Chicago area and Illinois business owners are facing a number of challenges and the CoronaVirus pandemic is threatening the continued viability of their business. Here are some of the more frequently questions asked by business owners. Residential Evictions can proceed under certain conditions The moratorium in…
Will Virtual Online Transactions Become a Reality?
Are virtual business transactions the new reality? Once consummated in title company conference rooms amid seemingly bottomless stacks of paper, real estate transactions—like seemingly every other aspect of our lives—have gone virtual during the pandemic. While some home buyers opt to continue in-person closings where possible, others are either giving…
Digital Currency Gets Real
Crypto economy has arrived. An actual physical bank will soon be providing the full slate of deposit-taking, custody and fiduciary services for cryptocurrency such as bitcoin. The Cheyenne, Wyoming-based Kraken Financial on September 16 became the first digital asset firm in the U.S. to obtain…
Employers Need to Mask Up Against Lawsuits
Employers Need to Mask Up Against Lawsuits Small businesses face a dizzying swirl of regulations from different levels of government about whether patrons and employees are required to wear masks during the pandemic, as well as whether employers are required to either purchase masks for employees or reimburse them for…