Adjusting to the Reality of COVID-19

Randy Zook (upper right) on Arkansas Week with Steve Barnes.

The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas traces its roots back to 1928, having survived the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Great Recession. However, the onset of the coronavirus/COVID-19 has been nothing like any of the previous major challenges we have faced. Yet, the State Chamber/AIA has responded nimbly by rapidly adjusting to the new reality of this pandemic, which has affected both our nation’s health and our economy in a devastating fashion.

In early March, we developed a COVID-19 Coronavirus Resource page on our website, updated regularly, which provides resources for companies to deal with the pandemic under the headings of Health and Testing, State News, Federal News, Small Business/Corporate Assistance, Unemployment/Workers Compensation, Safety/Insurance/Regulatory Resources/Industry Best Practices, Banking/Financial Resources, Employer Resources, and other categories.

In mid-March, we began compiling and distributing a synopsis of daily state, federal and business information for our members and local chambers across the state. Titled the COVID-19 Daily Update, it caught on quickly as businesses and organizations were grasping for information in the midst of the pandemic. Various other trade associations soon began redistributing the update to their members throughout Arkansas.

When the increase in COVID-19 cases necessitated that we shut down our office for several weeks, beginning March 20, we retrenched, with most of our staff working remotely from home while maintaining a skeleton presence in our building. Yet, we never missed a beat, continuing to send out our COVID-19 Daily Updates while also calling and reaching out to each of our members to gauge their concerns and issues and offering them assistance.

From late March to mid-April, when the federal government was coordinating a response with four tranches of stimulus and support legislation, we were in constant communication with the members of our federal congressional delegation, setting up regular conference calls among them, our members and local chambers to alleviate the growing anxiety and fear associated with the pandemic.

In late March, we began a weekly COVID-19 Employer Update, a live broadcast every Thursday morning from the offices of Waymack and Crew featuring Dr. Joe Thompson of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement and State Chamber President & CEO Randy Zook.

In early April, we began providing webinars to our members and local chambers with timely and needed information on topics related to the economic impact of COVID-19, including the Shared Work Program through the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services and the Department of Labor, and unemployment benefits under the CARES Act. Both webinars were led by State Chamber member companies.

We subsequently refined our approach by offering a series of webinars under the heading “RechARge Arkansas” also led by various State Chamber member companies, that drew significant attendance by representatives of State Chamber/AIA member companies and local chambers. Titles included Doing Business During a Pandemic; FFCRA Leave, ADA, WARN Act, and Workplace Safety Issues in the Time of COVID-19; Working from Home Safely and Effectively; PPP Loan: Critical Items for Funding and Forgiveness; Clear Communications for Economic Recovery; Preparing for the Future of Hospitality and Tourism; Leading Remote Employees During a Crisis; CEO Panel: Leading and Operating Through a Pandemic; Contract Issues in a Pandemic; and After COVID-19: Arkansas’s Economic Outlook.

In mid-April, Gov. Hutchinson created the Governor’s Economic Recovery Task Force to develop an industry-specific strategy and make recommendations for Arkansas’s economic recovery from the effects of COVID-19. The task force, established by Executive Order 20-20, included leaders from the private sector and public agencies tasked with examining the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and industries in the state and recommending a strategy to the governor for the state’s economy to shift out of low gear consistent with public health guidance. State Chamber President & CEO Randy Zook was named to the task force and was later named to the commerce segment of the task force.

In late April, the State Chamber/AIA sent the COVID-19 Re-Activation Questionnaire to our members. The document included 13 questions. Nearly 200 members responded. Receiving those responses helped guide us in our efforts. Among the most gratifying responses were to one of the final questions regarding how the State Chamber/AIA could help responders and their businesses. Nearly 50 responders mentioned how helpful our efforts to keep them informed had been.

At the end of April, as the COVID-19 crisis began to temporarily subside and the state made plans to begin reopening various sectors, our staff who had been working remotely from home returned to the office.

In late April and early May, the State Chamber/AIA began developing and generating documents to assist businesses in their reopening efforts including signs in English and Spanish for businesses to post at facility entrances; an interactive COVID-19 Prevention Best Practices document; and an interactive calendar/schedule, updated regularly, providing reopening dates for Arkansas businesses, based upon guidelines established by the state. All three documents were well-received by businesses and organizations throughout the state and the latter two were recognized by the Council of State Chambers.

In early May, the State Chamber/AIA spearheaded an effort with a letter to the governor signed by more than 50 business organizations and local chambers thanking the governor for recognizing the need to protect from civil liability certain health care and emergency providers under the Governor’s Executive Order 20-18.

The letter went on to say: “However, greater protections are needed. To encourage and support critical efforts, the state needs to provide assurances of immunity to all industry sectors providing critical services, goods and facilities.” The letter asked Hutchinson to either issue an executive order extending immunity provisions to all private entities and their workers providing critical services, goods and facilities during the COVID-19 state or emergency, or to advance and support legislation in a special session “to address any gaps in this immunity expansion not addressable by executive order,” or to take both actions.

Most of Arkansas’s Senate Republicans subsequently signed a letter asking for an executive order and a special legislative session to provide some form of liability protection for business owners and health care professionals during the coronavirus pandemic. The special session, which was expected to be held sometime in June, would adopt legislation providing “appropriate immunity with regard to claims involving contraction of COVID-19 to businesses and healthcare workers,” the letter said.

Besides these efforts, Zook was in demand for his knowledge and insight involving COVID-19’s economic impact on the state, appearing as a guest on Talk Business & Politics and Arkansas Week, and being interviewed by various state media.

There is still a long way to go with the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of the health implications and the recovery from the economic impact of the virus. But the State Chamber/AIA is confident that businesses and industry will emerge from this crisis, on a statewide and federal level, with the realization that businesses must do their part to keep employees and customers safe by providing a clean and sanitized environment. We have learned some important lessons over the past few months, particularly that being nimble, ready and willing to embrace change is vital to maintaining an organization and to evolving in this new reality.