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Navigating the Unknown

Protecting the jewelry industry since 1917 means that JVC has been right alongside our members in good times and bad. As we face the current health and economic crisis, we are here with you to help you protect your business.

We have put together this hub on information to help you and your business navigate this unprecedented time – some of the resources are written by us and some are directions to our allies and partners who can offer assistance. This page will be continuously updated so come back for the latest information and access to webinars and other resources.

Be well and let us know how you are doing and what you need. We are here at info@jvclegal.org and @jvclegal on social platforms.

For up-to-date information on your state’s COVID-19 policies, please visit Law360’s interactive page here.

*Most of Law 360’s content requires a subscription, but the site is currently allowing the public to access this interactive map for free.

To read Covid-19 related articles, click the link here.

Legal and Business Resources

While the JVC usually focuses on jewelry-specific legal issues, we all now face a new set of challenges in this unprecedented time. We must get through this as healthy as possible and all share a thriving future. Below are resources grouped by business issues. Let us know how else we can help. We are here at info@jvclegal.org and @jvclegal on social platforms.

Still have questions? If you are a JVC member, you can schedule a free 15-minute conversation with a person from our legal team!

Schedule Your Member Chat Here

  • Employment law questions? The JVC community can get access to a free consultation with a NY based employment attorney by signing up here.
  • What You Can and Can’t Ask your Employee’s about their health: Employee Health Privacy Q&A with the EEOC.
  • Department of Labor Q&A re: COVID-19 or Other Public Health Emergencies and the Fair Labor Standards Act More Here.
  • Employees who suffer a loss of employment because of a shut down or reduction in staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic are likely eligible for unemployment insurance. Each state has different eligibility requirements. NY has waived its 7-day waiting period for unemployment insurance.
    • New York employers should provide laid off and terminated employees with the NYDOL Record of Employment form at separation. The Record of Employment is available here.
    • New Jersey employers should provide laid off and terminated employees with Instructions For Claiming Unemployment Benefits. The Instructions are available here. 
  • Employee Benefit questions here.
  • OSHA Guide to preparing your workplace for COVID-19: Here.  This guidance is not a standard or regulation, and it creates no new legal obligations. It contains recommendations as well as descriptions of mandatory safety and health standards. The recommendations are advisory in nature, informational in content, and are intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace. 
  • The Department of Labor has created a poster that must be distributed to all employees informing them of the new paid leave requirements passed in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.  More information about the paid leave requirements is available here. The poster is available in pdf format here.
  • How freelancers can claim the new paid sick leave benefits in a coronavirus emergency here.
  • OSHA COVID-19 Guidance for Retail Workers here.
  • US Department of Labor Employee Rights per the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) here.

  • UCC-1 Filing – Services of many Secretaries of State as cross the county are being impacted by COVID-19, including reduced services/availability and some closing entirely.  In each instance, it will be a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction analysis, if you are contemplating filing, they may want to do so sooner rather than later to avoid delays if at all possible due to interruptions in service.
  • For more information on memo transactions, please download our free “Essential Guide to Memo Transactions” here.

  • Coronavirus Relief Resources for US Business Owners Here.
  • A comprehensive Q&A on exactly how the phase III of the CARES act will impact small, medium and large businesses here.
  • NYC Small Business COVID-19 Relief: NYC businesses with fewer than 100 employees who have seen sales decreases of 25% or more will be eligible for zero interest loans of up to $75,000 to help mitigate losses in profit. More Here.
  • Small Business Administration disaster loans: SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance for a small business. These loans can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. More Here.
  • Relief Bills for Business: What you need to know Here. 
  • For updates on the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) from one of our partners, read here.
  • The Small Business Administration has opened its disaster loan application website, which now features expedited processing (targeted at 3-5 days).  These loans are at an extremely low rate, there is no penalty for repaying early, and can include up to $10,000 that will be forgiven.  It is best that anyone who is interested in receiving the $10,000 GRANT (not loan) should apply as soon as possible, as this fund is currently capped at $10 Billion and there is no guarantee that Congress will replenish the fund once it runs out. More here.
  • Cares Act webinar for US business owners:
    • Recorded call Here.
    • Slide presentation Here.
    • Questions? Please feel free to contact David P. Murphy, Senior VP of Wealth Management at UBS Financial Services Inc.
  • Webinar – Weather the Storm: Navigating the Stimulus Package; Thursday, April 16th at 2PM EST
  • Dentons, an international law firm, is offering a tracker document that includes reviews of U.S. federal, state, and local governmental orders, directives and financial assistance, public restrictions, health and business directives, school closures, and updates on courts and legislative sessions. Official links are provided where possible throughout the tracker to ensure that details on the latest guidance and orders are available. Information regarding remote online notarizations and eNotarization, mortgage and rent payment relief, and telemedicine/telehealth recently was added. Additional updates will continue to be incorporated as relevant. More Here.
  • Treasury/SBA Updated FAQ on the Paycheck Protection Program Here.
  • UBS PPP Loan Forgiveness Rules Here.

  • The FTC protects American consumers from deception and has created a special center for info on the latest scams happening during this time of crisis. More Here. 
  • Financial fraudsters are also targeting businesses and individuals across the globe during this pandemic. You can read about various scams and tips on what to look for here.

  • The Cybersecurity Implications of an Entire Organization Working from Home. More Here.
  • Interview with John Kennedy from Jewelers Security Alliance. More Here.
  • Beware of links texted to Android phones promising an application that provides you with Corona virus updates. Downloading the app may expose your phone to camera control and expose your personal data. More Here.
    • For legitimate COVID-19 text updates if you’re located in New York, text COVID-19 to 692-692; text COVIDESP to 692-692 for updates in Spanish.
  • With the increase of working remotely, there is a rise in phishing scams, some targeting jewelry businesses. The following article provides you with tips on what to look out for in emails and texts to avoid falling victim to these cyber scams – here.
    • “Zoombombing” and how to prevent your meetings from being effected here.

  • Employees in France? More Here.
  • Operations in France? More Here.
  • Amazon suspends fulfillment of all non-essential products: Amazon has announced that it will suspend all fulfilled by amazon orders in the UK, US and EU of non-essential items until April 5, 2020. This means that it will only accept shipment of essential items to its amazon warehouses. This does not affect retailers who ship directly to their consumers, only those that use the fulfilled by amazon service. Amazon has also announced the creation of 100,000 new positions in their fulfillment centers. The online retailer makes both of these moves in an attempt to meet the current high demands for household supplies, medical supplies and other essential products. This will have a significant effect on retailers who use this service, on top of the already difficult economic climate we find ourselves in. More Here.
    • Amazon will continue to priorities essential items beyond April 5th. They will determine allowing any additional non-essential items whenever possible, on an item-by-item basis and depending on demand. More Here.
  • In these unprecedented times, supply chains are inevitably being affected. With increased travel restrictions, trade-shows and sales events have been canceled all over the world. (De Beers canceled its third diamond sales event at the end of March). With this in mind, online trading may become the ‘new normal’ and only viable option for many producers, as global travel seems unlikely to return anytime soon. Russian diamond producer Alrosa is already looking into options for online trading.

  • OSHA Guidelines are available for Occupational Safety and Health Administration here.
    • More detailed regulation standards for businesses are available here.
  • Department of Labor Fact Sheet and Q&A on the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” here.
  • Security Advice from JSA Regarding Store Re-Openings here.
  • American Gem Society’s Cleaning Checklist and Protocols here.
    • An excellent guide on hand washing techniques can be found here.
  • Returning To Work: Are COVID-19 Waivers a Good Idea? article written by VORYS.
  • AML Compliance and Implementation – find out if you should have an AML program in your business here.
  • California Releases Employer Reopening Playbook here.

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