Economic & Business Recovery Call Center
Orange County Community Services has implemented a call center to meet the needs of businesses impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Economic & Business Recovery Call Center will offer information and resources to help Orange County businesses navigate the current economic climate. These resources will support businesses with challenges such as lay-off aversion, loans, utility reduction programs, and community resources mapping.
Businesses can call the Economic & Business Recovery Call Center at (714) 480-6500 during hours of operation Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Workplace Health and Safety
For information on protecting workers from COVID-19, refer to the Cal/OSHA Guidance on Coronavirus.
Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for help with planning for and responding to COVID-19 in the workplace.
Reduced Work Hours
If you are experiencing a slowdown in your businesses or services as a result of COVID-19's impact on the economy, you can apply for the State of California EDD Unemployment Insurance (UI) Work Sharing Program. This program allows employers to seek an alternative to layoffs. Employers may be able to retain trained employees by reducing their hours and wages and partially offsetting these with UI benefits. Workers for employers who are approved to participate in the Work Sharing Program receive a percentage of their weekly UI benefit amount based on the percentage of hours and wages reduced, not to exceed 60 percent.
Visit Work Sharing Program to learn more about its benefits for you and your employees and how to apply.
Potential Closure or Layoffs
If you are planning a closure or major layoffs as a result of the coronavirus, you can get help through the State of California EDD Rapid Response program. Rapid Response teams will meet with you to discuss your needs, help avert potential layoffs, and provide immediate on-site services to assist workers facing job losses. For more information, refer to the Rapid Response Services for Businesses Fact Sheet (DE 87144RRB) (PDF) or contact your local America’s Job Center of CaliforniaSM.
California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act
Governor Gavin Newsom has issued Executive Order N-31-20 (PDF), which addresses the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act and its 60-day notice requirement for an employer that orders a mass layoff, relocation, or termination at a covered establishment. The executive order is intended to permit employers to act quickly in order to mitigate or prevent the spread of coronavirus. The executive order does not suspend the California WARN Act in its entirety, nor does it suspend the law for all covered employers. The executive order only suspends the California WARN Act’s 60-day notice requirement for those employers that satisfy the order’s specific conditions. Employers should continue to file a WARN per the legislation requirements whether or not the 60-day notice timeframe is met. For more information, visit the COVID-19: WARN FAQs.
Tax Assistance
If you are experiencing a hardship as a result of COVID-19, you may request up to a 60-day extension of time from the EDD to file your state payroll reports and/or deposit state payroll taxes without penalty or interest. A written request for extension must be received within 60 days from the original delinquent date of the payment or return.
For questions, call the EDD Taxpayer Assistance Center:
• Toll-free from the US or Canada: 1-888-745-3886
• TTY: 1-800-547-9565
• Outside the US or Canada: 1-916-464-3502
Self-Employed
If you are self-employed, you may have benefits available from EDD employment insurance programs that you or your employer may have paid into over the past five to 18 months. You may have contributions from a prior job or you may have been misclassified as an independent contractor instead of an employee. Apply for the benefit program that best fits your situation and include details about your employment to help the state process your claim.
Visit Coronavirus 2019 FAQs and Self-Employed/Independent Contractor to learn more.
