Hello

A statewide stay-at-home order goes into effect Monday, March 30th at 5:00 PM. The order will last for thirty days, until April 29, 2020.  The order prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people and continues general guidance on maintaining a personal distance of at least six feet. 

The Order provides for essential businesses to continue to operate while prioritizing social distancing measures. The Order has the force of law and will be enforced in all 100 counties statewide.

If you do not think your business is included in the essential services list, and you think it should be, you may apply online at the NC Department of Revenue to be designated essential. Until your exemption is reviewed, you may operate as long as your business can accommodate social distancing in your workplace. 

• Use teleworking technologies to the greatest extent possible. 
• Stagger work schedules. 
• Consider canceling non-essential travel.

• Hold larger meetings virtually, to the extent possible. Any gathering of more than 100 people is currently prohibited in North Carolina, per Executive Order 117Open PDF (issued March 14, 2020). NCDHHS has Guidance for Organizations that Gather Less Than 50 People Together. The ban on gatherings does not include airports, bus and train stations, medical facilities, libraries, shopping malls and spaces where people may be in transit. Office environments, restaurants, factories, or retail or grocery stores are also excluded. Read the FAQOpen PDF.
• Arrange the workspace to optimize distance between employees, ideally at least six feet apart.
• Urge high risk employees to stay home.
• Urge employees to stay home when they are sick and maximize flexibility in sick leave benefits.

• Reinforce good hand hygiene tips and other common-sense precautions with employees and patrons.
• Review policies and procedures for remote or teleworking where possible.
• Cross-train employees for key functions so that daily schedules can continue relatively uninterrupted by potential employee absences.
• Review absenteeism policies to make sure employees are not being encouraged to come to work if they are sick.
• Establish a relationship with your local health department and communicate with them if you have any questions or concerns about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
• Review recommendations for cleaning practices.
• Work to make sure fear and anxiety don't lead to social stigma toward any employees.
• Make sure you are getting reliable information from sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and NCDHHS.

Governor Roy Cooper announced that North Carolina restaurants and bars will be closed to sit-down service and limited to take-out or delivery orders starting at 5 p.m. March 17, 2020. Grocery stores, gas stations, and convenience stores, are exempt from this order and will remain open, though they may not serve sit-down food. 

Additionally, the order lifts some restrictions on unemployment benefits to help workers unemployed due to COVID-19 and those who are employed but will not receive a paycheck. It also adds benefit eligibility for those out of work because they have the virus or must care for someone who is sick. 

Rstaurants and bars that remain open for take-out and delivery should keep in mind that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements are still in effect, and all businesses need to continue to ensure reasonable access and accommodations to their employees and customers.

• ADA-related guidance specific to employers during a pandemic can be found on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s website.
• Additional guidance and resources on the ADA can be found on the ADA’s website and on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s website.