Kolek planning to go pro
What about the trades. Landscaping, construction, masonry, welding,painting, woodwork. Etc. Are these essential? Doesnt even matter almost all of these will continue to operate anyways
Private contractors need customers, customers don't want people who might be contagious coming into their homes. Larger companies won't operate because they're liable to the unions and want government contracts and won't risk those.
Every state with actual winter wants their road building industry back to work. They want those larger numbers off the unemployment count.
Theoretically this is the perfect time to accelerate infrastructure projects, minimal usage, projects don't require a lot of interaction face to face, and it keeps workers working.
That being said .. state tax receipts are going to completely plummet in the next many quarters. Like in 2008, the Feds will/should dump billions into "shovel ready" projects.
FWIW - Connecticut is already at this point. This is the "essential list" in a recent COVID-19 email I received from my State Senator. I'm sure this list will be similar everywhere.To the extent possible, employees of Essential Businesses whose duties are not critical to an Essential Business function described below should telecommute or utilize any work from home procedures available to them.For purposes of Executive Order 7H, “essential business,” means:1. Essential workers in the 16 Critical Infrastructure Sectors, as defined by the federal Department of Homeland Security unless otherwise addressed in a prior or future executive order pertaining to the existing declared public health and civil preparedness emergency.2. Healthcare and related operations including biotechnology therapies consumer health products and services doctor and dentist offices elder care, including adult day care health care plans and health care data home health care workers or aides hospitals manufacturing, distributing, warehousing, and supplying of pharmaceuticals, including research and development medical marijuana dispensaries and producers medical supplies and equipment providers, including devices, diagnostics, services, and any other healthcare related supplies or services medical wholesale and distribution nursing homes, or residential health care facilities or congregate care facilities pharmacies physical therapy and chiropractic offices research and laboratory services, including testing and treatment of COVID-19 veterinary and animal health services walk-in-care health facilities3. Infrastructure including airports/airlines commercial trucking dam maintenance and support education-related functions at the primary, secondary, or higher education level to provide support for students, including distribution of meals or faculty conducting e-learning hotels and other places of accommodation water and wastewater operations, systems, and businesses telecommunications and data centers transportation infrastructure including bus, rail, for-hire vehicles and vehicle rentals, and garages utilities including power generation, fuel supply, and transmission4. All manufacturing and corresponding supply chains, including aerospace, agriculture, and related support businesses5. Retail including appliances, electronics, computers, and telecom equipment big-box stores or wholesale clubs, provided they also sell groceries, consumer health products, or operate a pharmacy convenience stores gas stations grocery stores including all food and beverage retailers guns and ammunition hardware, paint, and building material stores, including home appliance sales/repair liquor/package stores and manufacturer permittees pharmacies pet and pet supply stores6. Food and agriculture, including farms and farmer’s markets food manufacturing, processing, storage, and distribution facilities nurseries, garden centers, and agriculture supply stores restaurants/bars (provided compliance with all applicable executive orders is maintained)7. Services including accounting and payroll services animal shelters or animal care or management, including boarding, grooming, pet walking and pet sitting auto supply, repair, towing, and service, including roadside assistance bicycle repair and service building cleaning and maintenance child care services critical operations support for financial institutions financial advisors financial institutions, including banks, credit unions, and check cashing services funeral homes, crematoriums, and cemeteries insurance companies laundromats/dry cleaning legal and accounting services mail and shipping services marinas and marine repair and service news and media real estate transactions and related services, including residential leasing and renting religious services (subject to Executive Order 7D limiting gatherings to 50 people) storage for Essential Businesses trash and recycling collection, hauling, and processing warehouse/distribution, shipping, and fulfillment8. Providers of basic necessities to economically disadvantaged populations including food banks homeless shelters and congregate care facilities human services providers whose function includes the direct care of patients in state-licensed or funded voluntary programs; the care, protection, custody and oversight of individuals both in the community and in state-licensed residential facilities; those operating community shelters and other critical human services agencies providing direct care or support social service agencies9. Construction including all skilled trades such as electricians, HVAC, and plumbers general construction, both commercial and residential other related construction firms and professionals for essential infrastructure or for emergency repair and safety purposes planning, engineering, design, bridge inspection, and other construction support activities10. Services necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation and essential operations of all residences and other buildings (including services necessary to secure and maintain non-essential workplaces) building cleaners or janitors building code enforcement disinfection doormen emergency management and response fire prevention and response general maintenance whether employed by the entity directly or a vendor home-related services, including real estate transactions, closings, appraisals, and moving services landscaping services law enforcement outdoor maintenance, including pool service pest control services security and maintenance, including steps reasonably necessary to secure and maintain non-essential businesses state marshals11. Vendors that provide essential services or products, including logistics and technology support, child care, and services needed to ensure the continuing operation of government agencies and provide for the health, safety and welfare of the public including billboard leasing and maintenance child care services essential government services government owned or leased buildings information technology and information security logistics technology support12. Defense defense and national security-related business and operations supporting the U.S. Government or a contractor to the US governmentIf the function of your business is not listed above, but you believe that it is essential or it is an entity providing essential services or functions, you may request designation as an Essential Business.Requests by businesses to be designated an essential function as described above, should ONLY be made if they are NOT covered by the guidance. If your business is not included and you feel that it is an essential business, you can appeal to have it added to the list of essential businesses. Here is the link to file your appeal. https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Coronavirus-for-Businesses/Essential-Business-Designation-Form
With a list like that, it would have been a hell of a lot easier (and shorter) to put out a list of non-essential businesses.An order with no teeth....
Good information thanks
Indeed, my company sent out a note that roughly said "We're essential. If you want a letter you can show people, we will provide it."IMO, I have a hard time imagining our products as essential.
We'll let you know what "essential business" means at some point in the future, maybe tomorrow, maybe not. Who knows!Thanks, really helping us figure out how to respond over here.
If it is as disappointing as some of the lists we have seen, its lip service, and will not have much of a noticeable effect. This slow walk to a total lockdown needs to stop. Just do it already and spare our poor health care workers any more misery than they are already going through.Wonder what the rate of retention will be when this is all in the clear. How many will need serious psychiatric help once this is over. I sure hope we give them all the resources they need.
We just had a full company meeting, apparently Evers will order a state-wide shutdown likely starting Wednesday. We will close but if the order lasts longer than the 14 days passed in a bailout last week we are looking at layoffs.
Separate from the order that will take effect tomorrow?If so, why not just start the damn thing tomorrow.
Honestly, lock it down or don't. There are obvious terms that require definitions, so provide the dang definitions.If we're working on Connecticut's definition that seems to qualify everything as essential, we're open. If we're working on a different definition, we might not be. We've got a staff that doesn't know what's happening and we can't give them an answer. We can't even give them a timeline on when we might have an answer.<deep breath>/close rantSorry. Had to get it out of my system.