Be the First to Know News and Updates from TNLA! APRIL 9, 2020
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T a b l e o f Cont e n ts TNLA Working For You Cover Feature: #NOT TODAY COVID-19 Members' News You Need to Know -COVID-19 UPDATE ---Governor Abbott's Order Deadline is April 30th, Cities and Counties Following Suit ---Unemployment in the Face of COVID-19 ---Deadline Extension for Franchise Tax ---The Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act, Struggling to Get Started? ---Cash Flow During COVID-19, To Spend Or Not Spend ---The Fight to Keep Your Business Open Continues ---TNLA Joins Coalition Urging USDA Sonny Perdue for Specialty Crop Relief ---Hotchkiss Insurance Shares COVID-19 Insurance Resources for TNLA Members ---TNLA COVID-19 Webinars -Embrace Your Space -Lawn & Garden Tax Holiday -Young Leader & Summit Nominations -Membership Renewal -Scholarship Winners
Education - Certification Renewal in June -TNLA Academics - CEU Quizzes TNLA Leadership Comes Together Virtually
TNLA's COVID-19 Resource Center is available for all members to get information on the things that are impacting the Green Industry. This includes information on legislation and advocacy, educational resources and opportunities, & communication resources for your business and team.
EDUCATION & CEU OPPORTUNITIES Don't Ask The Expert, Be The Expert
TNLA Green Magazine Articles Including: Notes From SFA Gardens Bugs & Fuzz GreenVision Authors Including: Meng Meng Gu, Ph.D. Kevin Ong, Ph.D. David Creech, Ph.D.
CEU Quiz in Every Issue! Read the Latest Issue Here!
TNLA Academics Education-On-Demand Self-Paced Online Courses Guided Web Courses TNLA Academics Mini Sessions Nursery/Landscape EXPO Keynotes Nursery/Landscape EXPO Interviews Green Industry Essentials (PDFs) Free Webinars
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
COVID-19 UPDATE: Governor Abbott's Order Deadline is April 30th, Cities and Counties Following Suit As we continue to work through COVID-19 and the Governor Greg Abbott recently issued executive order GA-14, the situation in local jurisdictions continues to change. We are anticipating that many local jurisdictions will follow suit and extend their orders to match the Governor's timeline. As these local governments extend their order, TNLA members should be wary to make sure any changes to the local order don't negatively impact their business. If you are contacted by a local jurisdiction with new restrictions or requiring closure, be sure to contact TNLA immediately to help coordinate a clarification and support.
COVID-19 UPDATE: Unemployment in the Face of COVID-19 These are trying times, and many member companies are having to reduce their workforce. TNLA will continue to provide updated information and resources to help your company as reductions in head counts, wages, furloughs and layoffs occur. Here are a few current things to help your company work through this: Be sure to listen in on TNLA’s COVID-19 Webinar Series on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, from 11am-12pm Rights and Realities of Green Industry Business Owners Coronavirus 2020 Straight Talk with Laura Fowler and David Oliver with Fowler Law, Register Here Webinar: Your Guide to the CARES Act: Payroll protection loan, tax deferral or tax credit? Scenario 2: Business that has terminated employees offered by TriNet
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
COVID 19-UPDATE: Deadline Extension for Franchise Tax Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar has announced the extension of the time deadline for franchise tax reports upon receipt of a timely request. Timely means submitted or postmarked on or before the due date of the original report. Click here to read more.
COVID-19 UPDATE: The Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act, Struggling to Get Started? The following questions might help point you in the right direction. Do you need: Capital to cover the cost of retaining employees? Then the Paycheck Protection Program might be right for you. Also, be sure to check out the Coronavirus Emergency Loans Small Business Guide and Check List prepared by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A quick infusion of a smaller amount of cash to cover you right now? You might want to look into an Emergency Economic Injury Grant To ease your fears about keeping up with payments on your current or potential SBA loan? The Small Business Debt Relief Program could help. Just need some quality, free counseling to help you navigate this uncertain economic time? Resource partners might be your best bet.
COVID-19 UPDATE: Cash Flow During COVID-19, To Spend Or Not Spend As the weeks have progressed and the economy has shifted so has our ability to spend money. TNLA will continue to cultivate sales, marketing, and business resources to help your company make informed decisions on investing wisely to provide you a greater ROI in the long run. Be sure to continue to check our COVID-19 Resources page for more. Helpful Webinars Recently Posted to TNLA’s Online COVID-19 Webinar Resources page : COVID-19 Updates & Economic Trends with Dr. Charlie Hall Choose to Grow Forward Webinar with NLAE, April 6, 2020
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
COVID-19 UPDATE: The Fight to Keep Your Business Open Continues TNLA remains actively engaged on several fronts to pressure local officials to reduce any unnecessary or discriminatory restrictions on the essential businesses in the green industry. The governor's executive authority gives extensive coverage to landscapers, suppliers, retailers, and growers as essential businesses. However, some local governments are starting to be more restrictive on how essential businesses can conduct their day-today operations. While TNLA was successful in helping re-open several retail locations in Wichita, Dallas, and Tarrant counties, our effort continues to have restrictions on in-person sales removed.
COVID-19 UPDATE: TNLA Joins Coalition Urging USDA Sonny Perdue for Specialty Crop Relief TNLA joined horticulture associations across the nation to urge USDA Secretary Perdue to design a relief program for green industry businesses with his discretionary money, in conjunction with the similar relief programs developed under the SBA. Many firms in our industry may not qualify for some of the programs under the CARES Act and the USDA could be substantial help in designing custom relief programs for our industry. Our letter sent on to Secretary Perdue and Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller urges them to keep the green industry in mind when allocating relief dollars. You can find the full letter here
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
COVID-19 UPDATE: Hotchkiss Insurance Shares COVID-19 Insurance Resources for TNLA Members In order to help members prepare and respond to the business disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to address some frequently asked questions and provide guidance for you in this difficult time. However, every policy is different and needs to be reviewed by a licensed agent and or a licensed carrier claims adjuster. If I have a property policy, is there business income/business interruption coverage for the COVID-19 pandemic? In our opinion the short answer is not likely, but possibly. In a general, before business income typically responds, there must be a suspension of operations “caused by direct physical loss of or damage to property at the described premises. The loss or damage must be caused by or result from a Covered Cause of Loss. The COVID-19 pandemic is usually not a covered peril, regardless if there’s a government mandate or not. That said, there is currently much talk in Washington with some potential legislation on this topic which could require insurance carriers to retroactively cover this event with government financial backing to pay the losses. There have also been lawsuits already filed against insurance carriers, seeking coverage. For some businesses, it might be prudent to formally file a claim. We recommend contacting your insurance agent and/or carrier to understand your specific coverage and any options available. Whether you decide to submit a claim or not, record-keeping and documentation are extremely important. Tracking and documenting developments, including actions taken by federal, state, and local governmental authorities, as they occur will assist in establishing a timeline of critical events. This is particularly important as gathering the necessary information later can become more difficult. Do I have coverage for COVID-19 through workers compensation? If your employee’s illness was contracted during the course and scope of work there may be coverage. The carrier will investigate each claim and medical evidence will be important to the compensability determination. The more widespread the COVID-19 becomes, likely the more difficult it may be for the employee to show that it is work related rather than ordinary disease of life to which the general public is exposed. A confirmed COVID-19 case is an OSHA recordable illness, if the employee contracted it as a result of preforming their work. Please see OSHA guidelines at www.OSHA.gov. If you believe an employee contracted the disease through their scope of work please turn in a claim immediately to your workers compensation carrier. Please all necessary health and safety precautions for your employees and work place following the CDC guidelines at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019ncov/community/organizations/businesses-employers.html
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
COVID-19 UPDATE: Hotchkiss Insurance Shares COVID-19 Insurance Resources for TNLA Members -Continued Are there any resources if I need to furlough or lay off employees? Yes! There are many resources available to help you navigate this difficult decision. If you currently carry employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) most carriers provide a hotline to speak directly with a labor attorney to answer any specific questions or unique circumstances. To find out if this is available to you through your insurance carrier, contact your agent directly or you can find this information on your insurance policy. Hotchkiss insurance has also collaborated with ThinkHR to answer some frequently asked questions here at http://hiallc.com/wpcontent/uploads/2020/03/ThinkHR_HIA_COVID19_FAQ.pdf . If you have to temporarily or permanently lay off employees, you may be eligible to submit a Mass Claim for unemployment benefits on the employees’ behalf through the Employers Benefits Services/Texas Workforce Commission. If you need to reduce hours due to the pandemic, you might be eligible for the Texas Workforce Commission’s Shared Work plan. A shared work plan allows employers to supplement their employee’s lost wages because of reduced hours with partial unemployment benefits. To find out more information on Mass Claim filing and the Shared Work plans go to www.twc.gov/news/COVID-19resources-employers As the endorsed insurance provider for TNLA, Hotchkiss Insurance is here for your business while we all navigate the unique situation that the coronavirus is posing for our businesses, families and communities. During this time, we remain open and available to answer questions for any TNLA member. You can reach out to us directly at 1-800-899-3750 or email at jagoehring@hiallc.com and we will work to help you get the answers you need.
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
COVID-19 UPDATE: TNLA COVID-19 WEBINARS Starting next week TNLA is offering webinars in response to COVID-19 to provide our member companies assistance in navigating their way through updates and resources as they become available. Webinars will be 11-12pm Central on Tuesday and Friday. TNLA’s first webinar within the Series will be Laura Fowler & David Oliver, with Fowler Law, Rights and Realities of Green Industry Business Owners - Coronavirus 2020 Straight Talk with Laura Fowler and David Oliver with Fowler Law. Laura will address Green Industry the concerns businesses are now facing. Her straight talk will address the facts and further explain the resources currently available. Register Here!
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
EMBRACE YOUR SPACE Encourage Your Customers to Embrace their Space! We all know that COVID-19 has been making a huge impact on communities and businesses. With schools shut down, and remote work for many, this is a great time to get people out in their gardens! Time spent in the yard with family is invaluable and the benefits to gardening are bounding. Take advantage of this opportunity to remind people why it feels so good to get your hands in the dirt! Please use the media kit for your social media or inspiration to keep customers inspired. Go to the media kit here! Don't forget to use #EmbraceYourSpace on Social Media!
#EmbraceYourSpace
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
LAWN & GARDEN TAX HOLIDAY While we are encouraging customers to embrace their space.. it is also a great time to start preparing for the Lawn & Garden Tax Holiday! Keep the customers coming through the summer and maximize your return on this opportunity. On Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-25, there is no need to charge customers sales tax on any water saving products. Head down to tnlaonline.org for more information and a media kit with downloadable media posts. We want to help you take advantage of this tax holiday and keep your Spring going hot! Let's Make this Memorial Day Weekend Water Smart!
YOUNG LEADER & SUMMIT NOMINATIONS Each year, TNLA recognizes outstanding contributions and achievements in the Green Industry with Young Leader Awards and Summit Awards. Nominations for these awards are currently being accepted! Please help TNLA honor individuals and Member companies doing great work in out industry by submitting nominations by May 15! Go to www.tnlaonline.org today to submit your nomination!
2020 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL Be on the lookout for more information on your membership renewal in inboxes and mailboxes!
A WORD FROM THE STATE Members' News You Need to Know Hear it straight from the State Office
CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEARS FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Kendall Shaw Texas A&M University
Sonia Munoz Texas A&M University
Anna Claire Cunningham Stephen F. Austin University
Madyson Spence Texas A&M University
Shelby Horton Texas A&M University
Carolyn Cate Norris Texas A&M University
A WORD FROM THE STATE Education
Hear it straight from the State Office
CERTIFICATION RENEWALS DUE JUNE 2020 Certification renewal time is right around the corner, and we wanted to remind you while there is still time to take advantage of our many CEU opportunities. Explore TNLA's Education On-Demand for CEUs to get you renewed by June!
GET EASY-ACCESS TO CEU QUIZZES TNLA Academics has a new resource to help you earn your CEUs! Go to TNLA's Education On-Demand and click on the CEU Quizzes to get access to the downloadable quiz and TNLA Green Magazine Issue it goes with.
A WORD FROM THE STATE Hear it straight from the State Office
TNLA REGION LEADERSHIP COMES TOGETHER VIRTUALLY A special thank you to TNLA Region Leadership for joining us virtually yesterday for our April call. It was great to see everyone who was able to make it and share their current COVID-19 experiences with members from across the State. It’s is times like this that we band together and grow stronger.