Economic Development

Provided below is a list of resources and information for Royal Oak businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak. The city is in constant communication with leadership at the federal, state and county levels, and this page will be updated as more resources become available. 

MICHIGAN "VACC TO NORMAL" PLAN

Under new MIOSHA guidance, employers may allow fully vaccinated employees to not wear face coverings and social distance provided they have a policy deemed effective to ensure non-vaccinated individuals continue to follow these requirements.  Employers should continue to have and implement a written COVID-19 preparedness and response plan in accordance with the updated rules.  

As of June 1st, capacity limits will lift for outdoor events. Additionally, indoor capacity limits will increase to 50%, allowing indoor social gatherings such as weddings and funerals to move closer to normalcy. As of July 1st, the state will no longer limit capacity at indoor or outdoor gatherings.  



For more information and updates, please visit: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus

OAKLAND COUNTY GRANTS

Oakland County is offering a variety of grants for businesses and organizations impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.  Royal Oak is also collaborating with Oakland County to administer the Restaurant Relief Program to provide equipment and direct reimbursements to restaurants who have expanded outdoor dining opportunities.

Applications and grant details for Oakland County programs can be found online at www.oakgov.com/covid/grants .

SBA DISASTER ASSISTANCE LOANS

The Small Business Administration is providing targeted, low-interest loans to small businesses and non-profits that have been severely impacted by COVID-19. The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. Small business owners in many states are now eligible to apply, including Michigan.

For eligibility information, please visit https://sbdcmichigan.org/disaster-loan-help/

To apply, please visit https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela

IRS EMPLOYEE RETENTION CREDIT

The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service launched the Employee Retention Credit, designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The refundable tax credit is 50% of up to $10,000 in wages paid by an eligible employer whose business has been financially impacted by COVID-19.

The credit is available to all employers regardless of size, including tax-exempt organizations. There are only two exceptions: State and local governments and their instrumentalities and small businesses who take small business loans.

Qualifying employers must fall into one of two categories:

1. The employer's business is fully or partially suspended by government order due to COVID-19 during the calendar quarter.
2. The employer's gross receipts are below 50% of the comparable quarter in 2019. Once the employer's gross receipts go above 80% of a comparable quarter in 2019, they no longer qualify after the end of that quarter.

For more information about this credit, please visit https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-employee-retention-credit-available-for-many-businesses-financially-impacted-by-covid-19

GUIDANCE TO EMPLOYERS CONTEMPLATING POTENTIAL LAYOFFS

Work Share Program

Michigan's Work Share program allows you to keep your employees working with reduced hours, while employees collect partial unemployment benefits to make up a portion of the lost wages. With Work Share, you can maintain operational productivity and hang on to your skilled workers.

For more information, please download this Work Share Fact Sheet

Temporary Leave vs. Termination

Due to the uncertainty regarding potential congressional action on how furloughed workers will be able to access federal resources, employers are strongly urged to place employees on temporary leave as opposed to termination. There is no additional cost to employers, employees remain eligible for unemployment benefits and they may remain eligible for potential federal assistance.

Steps for employers placing employers on temporary unpaid leave can be found here.

RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYEES

If you become unemployed, you may qualify for unemployment insurance benefits. These benefits are intended to provide temporary income as you seek new employment. To be eligible for unemployment benefits, you must be unemployed and able to, available for, and actively seeking suitable full-time work.

A claim for unemployment benefits begins the week it is filed. Therefore, you should file your claim during your first week of unemployment. There are two ways to file a new claim or re-open an existing claim:

ONLINE is the fastest and preferred method. 

Visit www.michigan.gov/uia and sign into MILogin to access or create an account on the Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM)

VIA TELEPHONE, call 1-866-500-0017. If you are hearing impaired, TTY service is available at 1-866-366-0004.