Relief Package - What You Need to Know

The Illinois Restaurant Association continues to engage with local, state, and federal officials to help our employers and employees address concerns about COVID-19.

Please see the below resources and information for your business - updated as of 9:20 p.m. on Monday, December 21.

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Congress Votes on Relief Package - What It Means for Restaurants

Today, Congress unveiled a $900 billion relief billto provide short-term economic relief to the country in the face of the ongoing pandemic. Moments ago, the House approved the package, and the bill now heads to the Senate, which is on track to pass the legislation tonight.

The plan includes several items that will benefit restaurants, most importantly a second round of access to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), with unique provisions aimed to assist the restaurant industry.

While the package does not include a dedicated relief fund for restaurants such as the $120B RESTAURANTS Act, it is a step in the right direction with provisions that will provide much-needed support to our industry. The IRA continues to fight for additional targeted relief for the entire restaurant and hospitality industry at the federal, state, and local levels.

The plan announced today targets restaurant relief with provisions including:

• Enhanced PPP Loan Limits: The Paycheck Protection Program provides a business with a forgivable loan based on 2.5 times its monthly payroll costs. Restaurants, however, can seek forgivable loans based on 3.5 times monthly payroll costs.

• Enhanced Access to PPP: Companies that employ 300 or more employees at all locations are deemed ineligible for the Paycheck Protection Program. Given the fact that many mid-sized and larger restaurant groups are on the verge of bankruptcy, the bipartisan plan allows restaurant groups to qualify for PPP as long as they do not employ more than 300 employees per location. 

• Other provisions in the bill that will benefit restaurants include the deductibility of business expenses paid with PPP loans, enhancement of the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC), extension of the augmented Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), and increased tax deduction for business meals.

Our work is not over. We will continue to push the new Congress in 2021 to pass more comprehensive relief that will give restaurants the ability to survive now and thrive in the future.

Click here to read a summary of the package.

Chicago Park District Notice of Availability for 2021 Concessions

The Chicago Park District has posted a Notice of Availability for the 2021 Concessions Program Opportunities Application.

The application is available electronically here. The application should be submitted electronically by Monday, January 18, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

Click here to learn more and apply today.

Chicago City Council Passes Regulatory Relief Ordinance

Last week, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance introduced by Mayor Lightfoot that:

• Extends business licenses to July 15, 2021

• Allows sidewalk cafes to operate without renewal until June 2021

• Extends a 75% reduction in sidewalk cafe permit fees until March 2022

• Extends the Expanded Outdoor Dining Program through December 2021

• Extends BACP’s authority to issue special liquor licenses

The IRA applauds the Mayor and City Council for passing this package to benefit the restaurant and hospitality industry.

Click here to read the ordinance. Click here to read the prior announcement about the package.

Chicago Fair Workweek Ordinance - Private Right of Action

Due to the ongoing COVD-19 pandemic, Mayor Lightfoot previously amended the City's Fair Workweek ordinance that requires certain employers to provide workers with predictable work schedules and compensation for changes.

The amendment prohibited covered employees from filing a private right of action suit for any violations to the ordinance occurring prior to January 1, 2021. Beginning in January 2021, employees will be able to file complaints against their employers with the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection for violations of the Fair Workweek Ordinance.

As a reminder, restaurants with less than 250 employees and less than 30 global locations are exempt from this ordinance. Unless your restaurant has 30 or more locations globally, your restaurant is exempt from this ordinance. Franchisees with 3 or fewer locations owned by one employer are also exempted.

Click here to read more about the ordinance.

State Announces $180 Million Still Available in Emergency Assistance to Families

On Friday, Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced $93 million in emergency household relief has been provided to more than 155,000 families across the state this year as part of the Help for Illinois Families program. Launched by the administration in June, the program was created assist the growing number of families experiencing economic hardship as a result of COVID-19.

The administration is urging families to claim the more than $180 million which remains available to help offset costs on heating, utilities, water, rent, food and other forms of basic assistance. The Help for Illinois Families directs an increase in funding to state-run LIHEAP and CSBG programs, leveraging $90 million in CARES Act funding, for a total of $275 million available to assist families in need this year. LIHEAP provides assistance on heating and energy, and the CSBG program serves residents with household costs including water/sewer, food and other essential amenities, varying in availability by community.  

Click here to learn more about eligibility and to apply to receive assistance.

Grubhub Announces Free Delivery, Restaurant Upgrades to Grubhub+ During Winter

Last week, Grubhub announced is it giving every diner in Chicago access to no delivery fees for the entire winter with free Grubhub+.

Additionally, every Chicago restaurant who is signed up for Grubhub already will automatically be upgraded to Grubhub+ until mid-March at no additional cost.

Click here to learn more. Click here to read more from Chicago Tribune.

Reminder - Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Required

Effective January 1, 2020, Illinois employers are required to provide annual sexual harassment prevention training to all employees. Compliance must be achieved by December 31 every year.

Restaurants and bars are also required to provide supplemental sexual harassment prevention training to all employees, regardless of employment classification.

What Restaurants and Bars Need to Know

• Businesses may use their own internal program if it meets mandated minimum training standards.

• Approved online training is also available at ServSafe.com.

• Free online training for restaurants and bars is also available in English on the Illinois Department of Human Rights(IDHR) website.

• Free online training for restaurants and bars in Spanish has not yet been made available by IDHR. We will share this information as soon as possible.

• In the meantime, operators can create a customized training in Spanish by having a staff member take the ServSafe online course, and then incorporating the missing content into the existing IDHR presentation.  

• Proof of training must be provided upon request from IDHR.

• Records should include the names of employees trained, the training date, sign-in sheets, copies of certificates of participation, and a copy of all written or recorded materials that comprise the training, as well as the name of the training provider, if applicable.

• Records may be paper-based, or electronic.

• In addition to the training requirement, employers must also establish a written sexual harassment prevention policy available in English and Spanish, and provide a copy to all employees within the first calendar week of employment.

• The policy may be included in the company handbook, or distributed as a separate document.

• Employees should acknowledge receipt of the policy with their signature.

• The IRA has developed a policy template which has been vetted by our attorneys, and is available to download in English and Spanish on our website.  

Click here to review the FAQ from IDHR. Contact IRA Director of Education Mary Wilkie with any questions.