News & Announcements | Page 235 of 382 | Wisconsin Newspaper Association

What if laid-off employees decline to return?

May. 9, 2020

Many issues remain to be resolved on how the loan forgiveness phase of the Paycheck Protection Program is supposed to work.

This week, new guidance has been issued on what happens if an employer tries to return a laid-off or furloughed employee to his or her old job and the employee decides not to come back. The Small Business Administration and Treasury Department warn that a good faith effort to bring the employee back must be documented.

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Judge issues temporary order to prohibit destruction of records

May. 9, 2020

Iowa County Circuit Court Judge Margaret Koehler issued a temporary order on Wednesday to stop the destruction of public records in the form of text messages, following the filing of a civil complaint against the village of Arena.

Former Village Clerk Taylor Scott filed the complaint against the village and its records custodians a day after the Arena Village Board voted 5-1 to declare that text messages henceforth were “not subject to maintenance as a public record.” In her order, Judge Koehler found that, to the contrary, state law “appears to provide that text messages are records.”

Evers releases guidance for businesses when they reopen

May. 8, 2020

As many Wisconsin businesses look to return to providing products and services, Gov. Tony Evers on Friday announced business-specific guidance to help keep workers, customers and families safe when the state’s “safer-at-home” order is lifted.

The brochures include general guidelines for all businesses, as well as industry-specific advice. General recommendations include making sure that employees who are sick don’t come to work, curtailing business travel whenever possible, promoting work-from-home arrangements and making sure employees have access to sanitizers and personal protective equipment when appropriate.

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Facebook Journalism Project awards nearly $340K to five Wisconsin newsrooms

May. 8, 2020

Five Wisconsin newsrooms have been selected to receive nearly $340,000 in grants from the Facebook Journalism Project as part of the COVID-19 Local News Relief Fund Grant Program, Facebook announced Thursday.

They were The Cap Times, Madison365, Wausau Pilot & Review, Wisconsin Watch and Volume One. Three of the five media outlets — Madison365, Wausau Pilot & Review and Wisconsin Watch — also received $5,000 grants from FJP in early April.