Training, Federal and DC Updates

We are constantly looking for ways we can expand, rework and reimagine the resources we provide for all of you in our operator community. Food safety is a critical piece of your operations, now and always. To meet your needs during this unique time, we have developed an online review class for those who are seeking to refresh their knowledge before taking the ServSafe Food Safety Manager exam to recertify their license. 

The webinar is designed to review the key concepts covered in the certified Food Safety Manager exam and will review purchasing products to serving the customer to how contaminations occur biologically, chemically and physically and how to prevent contamination to help prepare you to ace the exam. 

The first webinar of this kind will be live on Tuesday, August 25, 10:00am -11:30 am and is led by our certified ServSafe Instructor, Shelley Fleming. Attendees will be provided a study guide as an additional resource. The cost of registration per person is $30. Click here to register. We will offer this as an ongoing training opportunity, and will share new dates as they are available. 

This is only available for people recertifying their license. If you are obtaining a license for the first time, you are required to take the full class, which you can do online through ServSafe. 

Over the next few weeks RAMW will be developing considerations for additional relief with elected officials across the region to get ahead of what is expected to be an uncertain fall and winter in the DC area. As we create these legislative priorities for consideration, we want to contemplate both real time relief and longer term recovery that will be needed. One specific area of focus will be how jurisdictions can create funding for, access to, and ease needed to extend outdoor dining options for operators and customers. We will look to partners and local governments across the region to help us think about ways to sustain dinership as we approach colder months.  As always, your voice and thoughts are appreciated and we encourage each of you to share your best thinking as we begin more formal discussions with our regional leaders.  Send your feedback to coronavirus@ramw.org. 

In DC, we have received a few questions about ABRA’s safekeeping license rule. Typically, licensees that close or cease operations for 21+ days must place their license in safekeeping. HOWEVER, you now have until 21-days after the public health emergency expires to place your license in safekeeping if you have suspended operations. This means, if you have closed, ceased or suspended operations you have until October 30th to place your license in safekeeping. We also expect additional relief measures from ABRA in the coming days, so stayed tuned for more updates. 

On the  national relief front, our friends at RY CPAs have an update. As you know, Trump issued four Executive Orders in an attempt to offer relief, however many questions still surround the Orders. One of these EOs authorizes companies to defer the employee portion of Social Security tax (6.2%) for workers making less than $4k per each biweekly period ($104k annually) between September 1 and December 31 of 2020. This could impact your payroll soon as we are quickly approaching the end of summer. When these taxes will become due, and how they will be paid is still unclear. According to the EO, the US Treasury Department will explore ways to forgive the debt entirely, however this decision will ultimately be up to Congress. At this point there are many outstanding questions, and we are not able to issue guidance as we still need additional information from Treasury and the IRS. We will keep you posted as this becomes available, and in the meantime we urge you to connect with your accountants, CPAs and payroll providers on this matter. 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out through coronavirus@ramw.org. 

Be safe. Be kind. Wear a mask. 

Best,

Kathy