March 30, 2020Shikha

Resources for Job Seekers and Businesses

NYC Resources for Workers and Businesses

 Jobseeker Resources:

  1. NYC Department of Small Business Services Virtual Workforce1:  www.nyc.gov/wf1online
  • Students can register for Workforce1 Services and they will have access to jobs with currently hiring employers. Registering for services is the only way to access the job boards- and it is an easy process.

 Resources for Workers and Businesses:

 Local Economic Information

Hotels:

  • According to Crain’s, “for the week ended March 21, New York City hotel occupancy stood at 16.8%, down from 49% the week before and an 80.5% decline from a year ago.” Additionally, the Four Seasons is becoming a “dorm for doctors.”

Food Retail + Delivery

  • Taxi and ride-share drivers: The City is looking to hire taxi and ride-share drivers who are out of work due to the coronavirus shutdown. The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission needs TLC-licensed drivers to perform necessary tasks, like delivering meals to homebound senior citizens. Drivers will be paid $15 an hour and reimbursed for gas and tolls. Eligible drivers can sign up here.

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Full List of Benefits and Resources for Workers and Businesses

 Benefits and Resources for Workers

  • REMINDER: NYC Office of Emergency Management’s virtual service center:  https://on.nyc.gov/covid-19-services-resources
  • ACCESSNYC: a portal for NYC residents to determine their eligibility for over 30 economic opportunity programs and benefits, with COVID-19 updates: https://access.nyc.gov/
  • For workers with reduced hours or unemployment
  • For frontline and essential workers:
  • Food Access
    • Meal Hubs: Starting Monday, March 23rd, three meals a day will be served to all New York City students at 439 hub sites citywide: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/food/free-meals
    • SNAP: Apply onlineor by smart phone with the ACCESS HRA app. After you submit your application, complete your eligibility interview by calling SNAP at 718-762-7669, anytime between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday.
    • Food Help NYC: You can get food today from New York City’s food pantries, which provide groceries you can cook at home, and community kitchens, which provide hot meals. Food pantries and community kitchens are located throughout the five boroughs. If you need food immediately, find locations near you here.
    • HungerFree NYCpublishes Neighborhood Guides to Food and Assistance”. These guides covers all neighborhoods in NYC by zip code and are available in multiple languages.
  • Reporting an employer: If you believe an employer is in violation of existing labor laws or recently issued executive orders you can contact the NYS Attorney General’s Office at (212) 416-8700 or Bureau@ag.ny.gov.
  • Electric Bill Suspensions: See Benefits and Resources for Workers above.

 Resources for Businesses:

  • S. Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program: https://esd.ny.gov/resource-guide-covid-19-sba-disaster-loans
  • Relief programs for small businesses seeing a reduction in revenue because of COVID-19
    • NYC Employee Retention Grant Program: Available through the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), the Employee Retention Grantfor small businesses with four or fewer employees is now available and includes space for you to add March revenue. Information about this, including eligibility, can be found at gov/covid19biz.
    • NYC Small Business Continuity Loan Fund: Businesses with fewer than 100 employees who have seen sales decreases of 25% or more may be eligible for zero-interest loans of up to $75,000 to help retain employees and ensure business continuity. Businesses interested in this loan program can now complete the pre-application online at this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZL5N8XL
  • Electric Bill Suspensions:
    • National Grid is temporarily suspending collections-related activities, including service disconnections, to lessen any financial hardship the COVID-19 pandemic may have on our customers. These policies are effective immediately and will be in place through the end of April. Please note that regular billing will continue for all customers. For more information, click here.
    • Con Edison will not shut off electric, natural gas or steam service due to payment difficulties resulting from the health crisis. They are waiving new late-payment charges for all customers and suspending the fee usually charged to a customer who is unable to grant access to their property. They will continue to shut off service when there is a safety issue. For more information, click here.
  • Essential Services: Information on which types of services and businesses are considered “essential” can be found in the Governor’s Executive Order 202.6 on the Empire State Development site here:  https://esd.ny.gov/guidance-executive-order-2026
  • The Shared Work program is available through the NYS Department of Labor. Employees can receive partial Unemployment Insurance benefits while working reduced hours. To learn more, call (518) 549-0496, email sharedworkinfo@labor.ny.gov, or visit https://www.labor.ny.gov/ui/employerinfo/shared-work-program.shtm.
  • Suspension of Debt Collection Activity:This application is for individuals or businesses that owe (non-medical and non-student) debts to the State of New York that have been referred to the Office of the Attorney General for collection and litigation. Any such person or business, or their dependents, that have been financially impacted by COVID-19, or the international, national, and state responses designed to prevent its spread, may complete and submit this application to be considered for certain forms of relief, including relief from collection activity, interest accrual, and the assessment of collection fees. Apply here.
  • Reminder: The NYC Office of Emergency Management facilitates a weekly Private Sector task force call;  businesses interested in joining should email publicprivate@oem.nyc.gov

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