COMMUNICATION IS KEY
Connecticut Heating & Cooling Contractors |
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CHCC is the premiere HVAC Contractor's association in Connecticut, serving 180+ member companies statewide, our members success is our business. We strive to deliver innovative educational programs and networking events that contribute to your business and future success in today's competitive local market. Comfort Connection is your monthly publication with all of the association events and happenings as well as industry news and vendors who support your industry. CHCC - Supporting the Industry that Supports You
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WEBINAR TODAY @ 2:00 - 3:30PM
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Town Hall: Best Practices for Essential Home Services During COVID-19
The health and economic impact of COVID-19 have fundamentally altered our families, work and communities. After a month disconnected from normal business operations, a set of best practices has taken shape. Join as Resideo’s Scott Harkins moderates a panel of experts from the security, residential services, and HVAC industries as they discuss how to navigate during the crisis. We will cover what actions they are taking, what conversations are happening, and the positive impact it has had on their businesses.
Moderated by Scott Harkins of Resideo, panelists will include:
· Brinks Home Security – Bill Niles, Chief Executive Officer
· Custom Alarm – Melissa Brinkman, Chief Executive Officer
· LOUD Security Systems – John Loud, President
· NexStar Network – Jack Tester, Chief Executive Officer
· ServiceTitan – Vahe Kuzoyan, President and Co-founder
· Service Roundtable – Matt Michel, Chief Executive Officer
· Suffolk Security – Paul Romanelli, President
· Vivint –Todd Santiago, Chief Revenue Officer
· Western Heating & Air Conditioning – Angie Snow, Vice President
· Williams Comfort Air – Matthew Tyner, Director of Marketing
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| Best Practices for Essential Home Services During COVID-19
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| Wednesday, April 22 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT
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| Register Now |
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| Panelists will answer questions that include developing a COVID-19 policy to help protect employees and customers, meeting challenges during a service call, and addressing attrition concerns with your clients. This town hall is open for companies in the security, residential services and HVAC industries and will be off-the-record to ensure a candid and transparent transfer of ideas and questions. You are encouraged to register in advance and submit questions for our panelists. |
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At this time we are receiving many calls from contractors throughout the state facing unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. CHCC continues to work with our lobbyist Statehouse Associates and other business organizations to address the most common questions in this FAQ.
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1. Safe Workplace Rules Updated - Mask Requirements - The DECD has revised the previously issued Safe Workplace Rules as a result of Governor's Executive Order 7BB, which is now in effect, requiring masks or cloth face coverings in most instances.
The Workplace Rules previously said masks should be worn "whenever close personal contact is unavoidable". That has been expanded now to essentially say masks are mandatory at all times in the workplace; and that employers have to provide them or provide instructions/materials or compensate employees for their provision. Also, the additional rules for construction remain the same as before. (Link and excerpt to key portions of the rules included below).
2. Legislative Session Won't Resume - While originally slated to be closed through April 23, it was officially announced today that the State Capitol will remain closed for the time being and the legislature will not resume their regular session prior to their Constitutionally-mandated adjournment date in May. This means that all bills from the 2020 regular session are now effectively dead; however, the legislature does plan to meet in a special session, likely in June, in which they would potentially cover year-end budgetary matters, Covid-response measures, and possibly some matters from the regular session that may carry forward into a special session that are non-controversial and would garner bipartisan support.
3. New Legislative Leaders Next Year - Finally, in political news, today House Minority Leader Themis Klarides announced that she will not be seeking re-election in the fall. This follows prior announcements by Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano and House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz that they too are not seeking re-election. This means that regardless of electoral outcomes in November, at least 3 out of the 4 legislative caucus leaders will be new for next year. This is a significant change in legislative leadership to happen at any one time. |
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DECD Safe Workplace Rules for Essential Employers
Rules for Essential Business
Masks or Cloth Face Coverings Required
- Each employee shall be required to wear a mask or other cloth material that covers his or her mouth and nose at all times while in the workplace. Employers shall issue such masks or cloth face coverings to their employees. In the event an employer is unable to provide masks or cloth face coverings to employees because of shortages or supply chain difficulties, employers must provide the materials and CDC tutorial about how to create a cloth face covering, or compensate employees for the reasonable and necessary costs employees expend on such materials to make their own masks or cloth face covering.
- Nothing in these rules shall require the use of a mask or cloth face covering by anyone for whom doing so would be contrary to his or her health or safety because of a medical condition.
- If a person declines to wear a mask or cloth face covering because of a medical condition as described above, such person shall not be required to produce medical documentation verifying the stated condition.
Additional rules specific to construction sites:
- Clean portable bathrooms no less than every 2 days.
- Require employees to travel separately to and from, and within, worksites.
- Reschedule work to maximize the amount of work being performed outdoors, limit indoor or work lacking significant fresh air.
- Shift work to limit the size of the crews on the jobsite, especially indoors.
- Rotate lunch and coffee break shifts, requiring workers to follow the CDC social distancing guidelines during meals or breaks.
- Follow all safety and health protocols when using an elevator.
- Provide an adequate supply of PPE, including but not limited to cloth face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer or soap and water.
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As guidance and additional details regarding the PPP have been released and clarified, we have amended the loan toolkit to include these updates. You can download the current version here, and review the specific changes that have been made below:
- 1099 employees and federal taxes were removed from the calculation
- Interest rates and term years were changed
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Communicate with your Customers
It is key that you market your product and services and educate your customer on your role in indoor air quality.
During the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen buyer behavior shift dramatically.
Customers who are forced to stay at home are spending tremendous amounts of time online and are in buying mode for products and services they need quickly.
Their ability to engage with you through your website is critical - if you rely on them calling or visiting your business you have lost the urgent buyer.
A Harvard Business Review study found that companies failing to engage a prospect that has filled out an online form within 5 minutes see a substantially reduced opportunity to convert that prospect into a customer.
Because the average buyer is easily distracted, you have a short window to capitalize on their peaked interest. |
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D/S License Prep Class - Online
We are currently working to get an e-learning platform to continue to host our license prep class. Stay tuned for more details.
June Class
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Service Roundtable Affiliate
CHCC Members can add this onto their membership for $25 (a 50% discount). Open up a whole new world of discounts, rebate checks, a nationwide network and more, Click here to learn who Service Roundtable is.
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CHCC 401(k) Opportunity
As an association, we are constantly trying to provide more value to our members. As such, we have launched a group retirement plan benefit exclusively for our contractors. By relying on the bargaining power of a large group.
Click here to learn more about this opportunity.
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Staying connected and learning from contractors around the state is a MUST in uncertain times. CHCC is here to keep you informed.
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With the uncertainty that March brought in... we are very much looking forward to a busy, prosperous and healthy A/C season! And looking forward to celebrating that success at our Golf and Trade Show Summit on Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at Tunxis Country Club!
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For questions about this Alert or other legislative and regulatory issues, please contact CHCC Lobbyist, Andy Markowski at (860) 707-3620, aem@statehouseassociates.com or CHCC Executive Director Jenn Jennings, (860) 533-1163, jjennings@chcca.net.
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