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CITY NEWS ARIZONA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES ARIZONA TAKEOUT WEEK ORGANIZATION OFFERS SUPPORT OF LOCAL RESTAURANTS AMID CORONAVIRUS MANDATED CLOSURES
THE ARIZONA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION (ARA) IS RESPONDING TO THE RECENT STATE OF EMERGENCY BY CREATING AN ALL NEW MARKETING STRATEGY TO HELP SUPPORT LOCAL DINING ESTABLISHMENTS WITH THE DEBUT OF ARIZONA TAKEOUT WEEK. Harnessing the energy from the wellattended Spring and Fall AZ Restaurant Weeks, AZ Takeout Week will help restaurants and those diners who depend on them for daily sustenance, survive what is an unprecedented crisis in the industry. The ARA is pleased to announce Arizona Takeout Week, which is now in effect and will run through the entirety of Coronavirus closures.
The initiative serves to help diners and those who depend on dining establishments as a food source find restaurants offering pick-up, curbside, and delivery options during this time and aid restaurants in marketing their service options during the closure.
“We appreciate and thank Governor Ducey for his efforts in working with the restaurant industry to mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus,” says Arizona Restaurant Association President and CEO Steve Chucri. “The Arizona restaurant family appreciates his work and that of all elected leaders in our state during this unparalleled time in our history.”
The culinary industry has a powerful impact on the state’s economy — and residents’ livelihoods. There are more than 10,000 dining establishments that employ more than 229,000 staff with annual restaurant sales of $13.4 billion.
“At the end of the day, we are the industry of ‘happy’ — that is what the hospitality industry represents. We hope to bring a bit of happiness to Arizonans during this extremely difficult time through Arizona Takeout Week while keeping our employees and restaurants afloat,” Chucri says. The event already has more than 100 participating restaurant locations.
This initiative is free for restaurants and all are invited to email their current menus and service hours to takeout@ azrestaurant.org. Diners are encouraged to go to the official Arizona Takeout Week website at www.aztakeoutweek. com to learn more and start dining on the go!
About the Arizona Restaurant
Association: Dedicated to helping its members become leaders in their communities through building customer loyalty, escalating awareness of food
safety and healthy living, bolstering a thriving industry and rewarding workforce, and increasing financial success, the Arizona Restaurant Association is the brainchild behind events that support the state’s culinary scene including Arizona Restaurant Week and the Foodist Awards. For more information, visit www. azrestaurant.org.
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SICK LEAVE IN THE TIME OF THE CORONAVIRUS
ARIZONA IS AMONG A HANDFUL OF STATES THAT HAS A PAID SICK LEAVE LAW. The Fair Wages and Healthy Family Act was passed in 2017. Until recently, it was the only protection that Arizonans had when it came to sick leave. However, in response to the novel Coronavirus, President Trump also recently signed a national paid sick leave law - the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. A large percentage of Americans have been temporarily or indefinitely put on a leave of absence and each of these laws offer workers financial help through this pandemic.
Under the Arizona Act, paid sick leave is required by all employers for full, part-time or temporary employees. Additionally, union workers who were under a bargaining agreement prior to the Act’s effective date may not be covered.
The Arizona Act requires employers with fewer than 15 employees to provide at least 24 hours of annual paid sick leave time and employers with 15 or more employees must provide at least 40 hours of annual paid sick leave time.
The Arizona Act allows for employers to be flexible and give the full allotment of paid sick leave even if employees are still in their 90-day grace period. Employees can also use their sick leave if they feel they may have been exposed and need to take some time to get tested for the novel Coronavirus. Likewise, if an employee has a family member who has fallen ill with COVID-19, they can also use sick leave and be covered under the Arizona Act. This also extends if the employee needs to take time off to get that family member tested.
In Arizona, parents can also use their sick leave if their children are forced to stay home due to schools closing—such is the case by the recent mandate issued by Gov. Doug Ducey amid fears that children could increase the spread of COVID-19. It can also be used during times when a public official forces a business to close due to a health crisis.
Employees do not need to give any formal notice of leave according to the Arizona Act and can request it via phone, email or in person.
The paid-sick leave law does allow some wiggle room. For example, some employers might require employees to allocate some vacation days to their time off on sick leave. Employers also have the option to combine all the possible days for paid time off, including vacation and other personal leave. The Arizona Act does not cover independent contractors, freelancers, babysitters, writers on contracts and those who are self-employed.
Starting April 3, everyone can benefit from the new federal paid sick leave law. Now, those who were not covered prior to COVID-19 will be able to take sick leave for two weeks maximum with their normal pay up to $511 per day. Additionally, if an employee must take time off to stay home with a child because of school cancellations, they are able to stay at home for 12 weeks while being compensated two-thirds of their normal salary up to $200 per day.
To fund this massive program, a tax credit is given to employers against the 6.2% payroll tax. If the percentage amount is greater, the government will reimburse the employer and selfemployed independent contractors can receive a tax credit as well.
With many people out of work currently due to COVID-19, the new bill also gives a 90 day extension to pay 2019 taxes in addition to the normal deadline of April 15.
Employers and their employees are venturing into uncharted territory in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As restaurants, bars and retail shops close, there is a heightened worry for those who work for tips and minimum wage. Torn between keeping workers healthy and reducing loss of revenue, the business complications of the pandemic stretch far beyond just the corporate world.
Jonathan Frutkin is the founder and principal of Radix Law. The company focuses on providing general counsel, including legal advice on capital formation, mergers and acquisitions, litigation strategy and intellectual property. You can find more information at radixlaw.com.
ADOR SEEKING UNCLAIMED PROPERTY OWNERS FROM MARICOPA COUNTY
THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE’S (ADOR) UNCLAIMED PROPERTY PROGRAM HAS IDENTIFIED MORE THAN $900 MILLION THAT BELONGED TO MORE THAN 1.1 MILLION PEOPLE WITH LAST KNOWN ADDRESSES IN MARICOPA COUNTY. The agency is sending out notices to the potential property owners and their families to attempt to return the funds. Some of the property dates back more than 30 years with one property being worth $500,000.
Unclaimed property generally consists of money due to an individual from sources like old bank accounts, uncashed payroll checks, tax refunds, credit balances, rebates, returned deposits and dormant safe deposit boxes. Often property becomes unclaimed because the company that holds the funds has an outdated or the wrong forwarding address for its customer and in some cases, a person passes away with no family members aware of the assets.
ADOR returns property to owners who provide documentation showing their right to claim the assets. Claimants must include with their claim form a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license or other applicable identification, and documentation linking them to the owner’s last known address. Claimants must also provide documentation demonstrating a legal right to claim any property listed in another name.
There is currently $1.5 billion in unclaimed assets in the state being safeguarded by the Arizona Department of Revenue. ADOR’s Unclaimed Property program returned $48.4 million to rightful owners in fiscal year 2019 (July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019).
For more information on ADOR’s Unclaimed Property program, including how to make a claim and frequently asked questions, go to www.azdor. gov and click on the Unclaimed Property tab.
12TH ANNUAL “KEEP OUR PLANET NEAT, RECYCLE YOUR CAR SEAT” HAS YOUR CHILD OUTGROWN Anyone can drop off car seats skilled and honest car repair shops. THEIR SEAT? Is it expired? Has it that need to be recycled at one NARPRO only recommends indebeen in an accident? If so, don’t throw of the participating Network pendent, family-owned, full-service it out – RECYCLE IT! of Neighborhood Auto Repair auto repair shops that have passed Professionals shops from now until 26 rigorous tests. NARPRO.com to NARPRO (Network of Auto Repair April 15, 2020. Find a participating find recommended shops near work Professionals) is partnering with NARPRO location at NARPRO.com/ or home. NARPRO is the easiest Child Crisis Arizona, Safe Kids find-a-shop. way to find an honest mechanic in Maricopa County and numerous the Valley. local organizations to collect old, On April 18, volunteers and NARPRO expired, and damaged car seats which shop owners will be dismantling the Safe Kids Maricopa County is led by volunteers will take apart for proper old car seats. They will recycle the Child Crisis Arizona, which provides recycling. Car seats don’t last forever, plastic, metal and fabric components dedicated and caring staff, operaand over time their components will separately. For example, elements of tion support and other resources to break down, especially in the hot the fabric, padding, and straps can be assist in achieving our common Arizona sun. used in animal shelters. Quilted fabric goal: keeping your kids safe. becomes bedding or chew toys for Based on the needs of the Older car seats or those that have the animals. Long straps make free community, this coalition been involved in an accident may leashes. Clean polystyrene foam (rigid implements evidencenot have visible damage, but they foam) from seats can be recycled into based programs, such as should not be used. This annual event an Earth Friendly Block™ which are car-seat checkups, safety helps those with older, expired, or used in commercial and residential workshops and sports clindamaged car seats get rid of them construction. ics, that help parents and in an environmentally friendly way, caregivers prevent childhood by keeping them out of vehicles and Neighborhood Auto Repair Profession- injuries. Childcrisisaz.org/safelandfills. als (NARPRO) helps car owners find kids-maricopa/
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