COVID-19 Resource Center
The k.p.d. mission is to help people and businesses protect what they care about.
Our Critical Response team is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and we wanted to share with you the following resources to help keep you and your business as safe and healthy as possible.
Workers' Compensation Resources
Property & Casualty Resources
Employee Benefits Resources
The following link will take you to the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) and their Legislative Actions for each NCCI state. This link is being updated daily.
Bulletin No. DFR 2020-9: Rerating businesses that have changed operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and suspension of field audits
Purpose
This bulletin provides guidance to employers and workers compensation insurers regarding changes in operations due to public health measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It addresses when a change in classification code is appropriate for employees reassigned to work from home, when insurers should rerate a business, and the suspension of field audits.
Bulletin No. DFR 2020-10: Payments to employees of businesses closed due to pandemics to be excluded from workers’ compensation premium basis
Purpose
This bulletin provides guidance to workers compensation insurers and employers paying employees furloughed due to pandemic-related closures.
What makes an illness an "occupational illness" and compensable under workers' compensation? More specifically, how does workers' compensation respond to the latest viral panic, the Coronavirus?
Read More from Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America > >
What employers need to know about coronavirus/COVID-19 as it relates to SAIF workers' compensation and the workplace.
Moving Forward: Restaurants & COVID-19
As we approach the summer, many restaurants are beginning to plan for a gradual return to normal operations. We have compiled a list of some key considerations and best practices – particularly those related to management responsibilities, food safety, sanitation, health monitoring, and social distancing.
Our Surety Bonds Director, Keith Yam, has teamed up with Professional Business Development Group to discuss Force Major Clauses regarding liability, specific contract language that protects contractors in regard to COVID-19, and possible strategies to mitigate supply chain delays and cost escalation.
See the link for a list of insurance carriers who have committed to provide premium refunds or credits to Oregon customers.
Nationwide is getting relief in members’ hands quickly and simply during the COVID-19 pandemic, by offering a one-time premium credit of $50 per policy for personal auto policies, and we are doing the same for Nationwide Private Client customers.
As a result of the pandemic, Progressive finds ways to help customers, employees, agents and communities through its comprehensive "Apron Relief Program".
Effective immediately, Travelers is extending their billing relief plan through June 15, 2020.
Find valuable COVID-19 tools and resources such as sample letters, checklists, and FFCRA articles from HRService, Inc.
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services issued a new emergency order for health insurance companies during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The order requires health insurance companies to:
- Provide at least a 60-day grace period to pay any past due premiums
- Pay claims for any covered services during the first 30 days of the grace period
- Extend all deadlines for reporting claims and other communications, and provide members with communication options that meet physical distancing standards
The order is in effect through June 3 and will be extended in 30-day increments during the course of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) issued a final rule that extends certain timeframes under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and Internal Revenue Code (IRC) for group health plans, disability, and other welfare plans, pension plans, and participants and beneficiaries of these plans during the COVID-19 national emergency. The timing extensions are issued to help alleviate problems faced by health plans to comply with strict ERISA and IRC timeframes and problems faced by participants and beneficiaries in exercising their rights under health plans during the COVID-19 national emergency. The final rule provides the timeframe extensions based on the end date of the “national emergency” (as of the date of this publication, the national emergency end date has not been announced) and the end date of the “outbreak period” which is the 60th day after the end of the national emergency. Under the final rule the outbreak period will be disregarded, meaning the timeframes for the group health plan requirements noted below will not begin to run until after the outbreak period has ended.
The Department of Labor has created a living document to provide answers to common issues that employers are facing in regard to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The DOL link below provides additional resources regarding these issues as well as the required Employee Rights notices for Paid Sick Leave and Expanded FMLA under FFCRA that must be posted in the workplace.
An update released on April 13th, provided by UBA, regarding CARES Act and the Payroll Protection Program.
In response to the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Act) on March 18, 2020. The Act is an economic stimulus plan that affects coverage and cost sharing for COVID-19 testing and provides expanded federal family and medical leave and a new federal paid sick leave law. The Act also addresses other issues such as coverage and cost sharing for COVID-19 testing under Medicare and Medicaid, emergency grants to states for unemployment insurance, tax credits for paid sick and paid family and medical leave, and federal funding for various programs.
- Department of Labor Temporary Non-Enforcement of FFCRA Violations
- Health Plan Mandatory No-Cost COVID-19 Testing and Treatment
- Account-Based Health Plans
- Confidentiality of Medical Records Relating to Substance Use Disorder
- Retirement Plans
Are paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave requirements retroactive? What are the tax credits under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)? Find the answers to these and other frequently asked questions during the COVID-19 crisis.
UBA COVID-19 FAQ and Blog Posts > >
Additional Resources
CDC Updates
Information from Lane County for employers regarding contact tracing & what to do and what not to do when an employee tests positive for COVID. If residing in a county other than Lane, the employer should check with the Health Department in their county for specific guidance.
“Together we can stop the spread of COVID-19 by answering the call.” The Oregon Health Authority has developed a web page with fact sheets and other downloadable resources regarding contact tracing and what to expect if you or someone in your household receives a phone call.
This guide highlights some employment risks an employer may encounter upon returning its workforce to the workplace.
We're slowly getting back to a new normal. The workplace is going to present different hazards, then when we vacated in mid March. In addition to balancing all of the necessary guideline; new concerns will arise as we go forward making the work place a safe place. The following information is for ALL employers and will be useful in assisting your workplace.
Information for Oregon small business owners, employees, and others regarding COVID-19 compiled by Business Oregon, alongside the Oregon Employment Department, the Oregon Secretary of State, and the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services.
Read the full article from PIA Western Alliance: "Working Remotely - The New Normal?" > >
Read the full article from The Hanover Insurance Group: Sitting Workstation Self - Assessment > >
Starting April 3rd, small businesses and sole proprietors can begin applying for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), an initiative funded through the CARES Act to help small businesses keep workers employed amid the pandemic and economic downturn by providing 100% federally guaranteed, forgivable loans. See below for more information prepared by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on the application process and how you qualify.
View this document, provided by Zywave, Inc., to learn more about identifying coronavirus symptoms, precautions for the workplace, and avoiding potential discrimination.
Fraudsters are now impersonating safety inspectors on job sites and demanding payments related to COVID-19 violations. See the article below for some OSHA provided tips to keep in mind.
See the link below for information from the CDC on how to identify and protect yourself from Phone Scams and Phishing Attacks related to COVID-19.
Disclaimer: Any information related to compliance or other subject matters in on this page, including any links or PDFs, are intended to be informational and does not constitute legal advice regarding any specific situation. The content of this page is based on the most up-to-date information that was available on the date it was posted and could be subject to change. Should you require further assistance or legal advice, please consult a licensed attorney.