A letter from The Right Place, Inc. President & CEO, Birgit Klohs: Preparing your business for further COVID-19 business restrictions

As your business navigates the new realities posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the team at The Right Place, Inc. will continue to be your trusted resource during these uncertain times. Our neighboring states in Ohio and Illinois have issued executive orders declaring residents “shelter in place”, and this morning Governor Whitmer issued a similar “Stay at Home, Stay Safe” order. As of 12:01AM tonight, all persons not engaged in essential and critical services are being directed to stay at home for the three weeks.

Essential services and critical lifeline companies:

If you are either an essential service employer or a critical lifeline company you are exempt from this order and encouraged to continue operations. Please review the noted links to see if your business meets this designation and to find further federal guidance. If your company meets this designation, the Department of Homeland Security encourages you to continue operating and maintaining these essential functions. There are some immediate actions you can take:

• It is recommended that companies document this designation on their official letterhead and provide to all employees as soon as possible.
• If you procure product or have customers in a “stay at home” state, this documentation may also be required.
• Contact the following resources with any questions: FEMA: CISA.CAT@cisa.dhs.gov |State of Michigan: covid19donations@michigan.gov
• You may also contact your local county emergency response leads:
  • Ionia County: Sgt. William S. Hoskins, (616) 527-8283 whoskins@ioniacounty.org
  • Kent County: Kevin Kelley, (616) 632-6100 kevin.kelley@kentcountymi.gov
  • Lake County: Patrick Maddox (231) 745-6205 pmaddox@co.lake.mi.us
  • Montcalm County: Eric Smith (989) 831-3534 esmith@montcalm.us
  • Newaygo County: Abby Watkins (231) 689-7354 abbym@co.newaygo.mi.us
  • Oceana County: James C. Duram (231) 873-4473 whitepinels@afo.nett

Additional resources and notes for all employers:

• The Right Place is actively updating our website with the latest news and resources related to COVID-19 -
• According to the executive order: Businesses, operations, suppliers, distribution centers, and service providers that abuse their designation authority shall be subject to sanctions to the fullest extent of the law. Additionally, Businesses, operations, suppliers, distribution centers, and service providers must make all designations in writing to the entities they are designating, whether by electronic message, public website, or other appropriate means. Such designations may be made orally until March 31, 2020 at 11:59 pm.

The West Michigan business community faces uncertain times ahead, but the collaborative spirit that has guided us through previous times of crisis is stronger than ever before. And as always, the team at The Right Place is here to assist you through good times and bad.

Sincerely,

Birgit Klohs
President & CEO
The Right Place, Inc.