Covid

This past weekend reminded us just how thankful we should be even as a new wave of COVID is gripping the Metro Detroit area. We hope you were able to spend time safely with family and close friends. At Bashore Green, we have much to be thankful for. First, our staff is hard working and extremely dedicated to our clients. We feel a sense of responsibility for every client who places their trust in us. Many clients come to usYour Read More Link Text

Snow and ice are sure to be on the way here in metro Detroit and throughout Michigan. State laws defer snow removal to local governmental agencies, so it is recommended that business and homeowners know their local ordinances and the requirements that are in place. Snow and ice that accumulates on walkways, driveways, and exterior stairs can be hazardous, especially for children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with limited mobility. To prevent wintry slip and fall accidents, southeastern Michigan business and propertyYour Read More Link Text

In the months ahead, restaurants and bars will need to find additional ways to adapt to the (hopefully) short-term reality of COVID. This is particularly critical as the weather cools and winter approaches – eliminating the option that many have for outdoor dining as a sit-down revenue source. Current guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration alone are not enough—food and beverage establishments will need much more support to reimagine their full range of business options and how to safelyYour Read More Link Text

After the first week of restaurants being able to offer dine-in services at 50 percent capacity in the state of Michigan, it appears that demand remains high but some consumers prefer to only eat indoors at home. We have a number of restaurant clients and being able to service more than just takeout is a huge step to the reopening of Michigan’s economy. Regardless if you’re a restaurant, coffee shop, or other business that services food or drinks, you mayYour Read More Link Text

Earlier this week, Governor Whitmer announced that Michigan will move to Phase 4 of the MI Safe Start plan with retailers being allowed to open today and restaurants Monday, with both being subject to capacity limits. Furthermore, office work that is not capable of being performed remotely along with in-home services, including housecleaning services, can resume. Local businesses should contact their local municipality or county office to see if there are reopening guidelines or requirements in place. For example, manyYour Read More Link Text

We have had discussions at Bashore Green about when to open our office up to the public in the days and weeks ahead. Our team has been able to meet client needs while working remotely, but all the video conferences in the world can’t replace the collaboration and camaraderie we have built with our employees over the years by working together in one office. So when it is allowed, our offices will open soon but when they do, things willYour Read More Link Text

With all the information related to business loans and grants in the wake of the coronavirus, this may have gone under the radar. So we wanted to let local business owners know that the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) approved $2 million for Metro Community Development to provide micro-and small business loans to Michigan businesses that have been most impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, including restaurants, coffee houses, retail stores, and service providers. These funds can be used to provide loans ranging fromYour Read More Link Text

It’s difficult to process the continual rising death toll of COVID-19. Many of these deaths are unexpected and are happening to people with no known pre-existing conditions or even healthy seniors. When a death occurs, there are many things that surviving family members need to handle, from the funeral and burial arrangements to notifying others. That first week or so comes with an overwhelming number of tasks that can leave little time for grief and closure. Following the funeral, other tasksYour Read More Link Text

Since the November 2001 terrorist attacks, there had been a significant amount of renewed respect for military members and first responders. And deservedly so. These individuals put their health, safety, and lives on the line on a regular basis, if not every day. What the COVID-19 pandemic has shown is that there are many more people willing to put their personal safety on the line. People working low-to-medium income jobs working at restaurants, grocery stores, driving trucks, delivering supplies, and moreYour Read More Link Text

Whatever your opinions are on the executive orders from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to close down many businesses and the guidelines from hospitals and healthcare systems across the state to postpone non-essential medical procedures, therapies, and more, the impact on patient care is devastating to our communities. Health systems across the state are laying employees off, losing hundreds of millions of dollars, and forcing providers who are working the frontlines to take pay cuts. This is a logical financial step inYour Read More Link Text

Most of us are working remotely these days. It’s amazing how quickly we are adapting, and how productive our own staff has been. Like many businesses, we’ve allowed employees to work remotely at times as needed based on family needs and other responsibilities. But COVID-19 is likely to extend this trend for the foreseeable future. It’s not a new concept to work remotely. According to Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report, 43% of Americans worked remotely at some point in 2016.Your Read More Link Text

As the debate raged last year over no-fault reform in the state of Michigan, one of the arguments against it was the potential impact it could have on healthcare providers. While no one could have predicted a global pandemic in 2020, providers in SE Michigan in particular and around the U.S., in general, are in the midst of experiencing some of the most shocking financial losses we have ever seen. Beaumont and Henry Ford are expected to lose hundreds of millionsYour Read More Link Text

We wanted to point out some additional financial resources that have been made available to companies, households, and local government entities based on an announcement late last week from the U.S. Federal Reserve: The Federal Reserve came out with additional policies last week that included offering up to $2.3 trillion in economic aid to businesses and state and local governments. This funding will assist households and employers of all sizes and bolster the ability of state and local governments to deliver criticalYour Read More Link Text

The reason that Death Benefits is such a growing area for our practice is that insurance carriers have shown that if they have the ability to deny, delay and/or defend the payment of a death benefit for any reason, they often will do it. Tragic deaths related to the COVID-19 virus are likely to be no different. All of these deaths that we are seeing throughout southeastern Michigan are heartbreaking. In many cases, these appear to have been fairly healthy individuals basedYour Read More Link Text

We wanted to pass along some highlights of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Thanks to the American Society of Employers for providing much of the language below. Please note this is not a complete list of stimulus measures. Payments to Individuals The law provides a one-time direct payment of $1,200 to adults and $500 per child to American households, structured as tax refunds to allow the Internal Revenue Service to distribute the funds quickly. These payments willYour Read More Link Text

We wanted to give an update to our clients about how we’re operating as a team given that our office is closed to the public and everyone is working remotely. Fortunately, we were set up for this possibility. We’ve had a few questions from clients already related to the “new normal,” at least in the short term. So below is a Q&A with answers to some of the common questions you may have. Q: Are you still open? A: Yes,Your Read More Link Text