Posted on 04/22/2020 7:06:29 PM PDT by BurgessKoch
Jamie Black-Lewis felt like she won the lottery after getting two forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program.
Black-Lewis saw the $177,000 and $43,800 loans, one for each of the spas she owns in Washington state, as a lifeline she could use for payroll and other business expenses.
She’d halted pay for the 35 employees — including herself — at Oasis Medspa & Salon, in Woodinville, and Amai Day Spa, in Bothell, in mid-March, when nonessential businesses in Washington closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When Black-Lewis convened a virtual employee meeting to explain her good fortune, she expected jubilation and relief that paychecks would resume in full even though the staff — primarily hourly employees — couldn’t work.
She got a different reaction.
“It was a firestorm of hatred about the situation,” Black-Lewis said.
The animosity is an unintended consequence of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package enacted last month.
The law, the CARES Act, offered $349 billion in loans for small businesses struggling as a result of Covid-19. Banks, backstopped by the federal government, can fully forgive the loans under certain conditions.
Among them, the bulk of funds must go toward payroll, salaries must remain intact and employee head count must not decrease. Businesses have until June 30 to rehire laid-off or furloughed workers.
Black-Lewis was trying to meet these rules, especially after her bank reiterated she must continue to pay workers for loan forgiveness.
The anger came from employees who’d determined they’d make more money by collecting unemployment benefits than their normal paychecks.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
“they’d make more money by collecting unemployment benefits’
I’ll put on my shocked face.
Sometimes I think this country deserves what is coming to it.
I'm just sorry my kids have to live with it.
Here’s my sage advice,I’d fire any asshole employee that was pissed off about getting paid for not working,
Not working should not be so profitable and so enticing.
Exactly.
What do you expect from liberals in liberal states.
That’s okay.
The younger generation still has guns.
Haha. We had that EXACT conversation today trying to sort out what to do.
60 of the 100 are making MORE by staying home playing videos games or what have you, some way more than they were making while working.
Others are definitely keepers for the long haul, assuming there is one.
According to the strings attached, I don’t think you can fire the ingrates. Seriously though, they aren’t unemployed. No need to fire them. Let them quit and they can piss off.
I lost my auto shop in '09 due to Obummer Care.
Hussien O. said it was my new normal.
She needs to send out certified letters notifying employees. If they refuse to return they should lose their unemployment benefits. If she can’t get them back she should either return the money or contact SBA to find out what other coarse she should take. I believe it turns into a loan if it’s not used for payroll.
Really? So the people where you live no longer repair their cars?
Personally I would use this experience as a time to observe employee attitudes and behaviors.
And quite frankly after I make my judgments I would not rehire the marginally performing ones or those with “attitude”. Now’s your chance.
When this is over there will be plenty of people looking for work so you’ll have your pick of replacements
Does anyone know if temporary employees are included in people who cannot be laid off?
[According to the strings attached, I don’t think you can fire the ingrates. Seriously though, they aren’t unemployed. No need to fire them. Let them quit and they can piss off.]
In addition to family members on payroll, Hire other people like independent contractors and put them on payroll to do jobs that you always wanted to do. Upgrade computers, paint walls, start marketing and sales programs, business consultants, financial planners, inventors. Think outside the box. It’s a gift, if you can’t use it for employees use it for something else. Once that is done, hire best back at higher pay.
My heart bleeds for them. Oh, sorry it doesn’t, it’s US taxpayers paying these assholes.
The benefits are only good through July what the hell are these assholes going to do after that???
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