% >> WISCONSIN'S POLITICAL
% INFIGHTING HAS BUSINESSES
% AND CUSTOMERS ALIKE CONFUSED
% ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE THE PANDEMIC
% AS WE HEAD INTO THE HOLIDAY
% WEEKEND.
% TOURISM AREAS ARE PREPARING FOR
% AN INFLUX OF CROWDS AND TOURISTS
% FROM ILLINOIS AND MINNESOTA
% WILL JOIN WISCONSIN RESIDENTS
% HEADING TO CABIN PROPERTIES.
% LAKE GENEVA HAS SEEN AN UPTICK
% IN BUSINESS AS THE SUMMER
% TOURISM SEASON LAUNCHES AND YET
% SOCIAL DISTANCING IS NOT ALWAYS
% OBSERVED THE WISCONSIN ECONOMIC
% DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OFFERS
% ADVICE AND GUIDANCE TO BUSINESS
% OWNERS ON HOW TO REOPEN WITH
% SAFETY IN MIND.
% >> SECRETARY DESIGNEE AND CEO
% OF THE WEDC, MISSY HUGHES,
% JOINED US EARLIER FROM VIROQUA,
% AND THANKS VERY MUCH
% FOR DOING SO.
% >> GOOD MORNING.
% >> SO, EVEN AS WISCONSIN
% STARTS TO REOPEN,
% HOW BAD IS IT OUT THERE
% FOR BUSINESSES AND THEIR WORKERS
% ACROSS WISCONSIN ECONOMICALLY?
% >> YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A REAL
% STRUGGLE FOR MANY BUSINESSES.
% WHETHER THE BUSINESSES
% WERE CONSIDERED
% ESSENTIAL OR NON-ESSENTIAL,
% MANAGING THIS NEW NORMAL
% THAT WE'RE ALL FACING
% OF KEEPING YOUR CUSTOMERS AND
% YOUR EMPLOYEES SAFE
% HAS CREATED CHALLENGES ACROSS
% THE BOARD.
% AND THEN, OF COURSE,
% THE ECONOMIC IMPACT
% OF EITHER HAVING TO
% CLOSE YOUR DOORS
% OR TO HAVE TO REDUCE YOUR
% OPERATIONS HAS BEEN REALLY
% CHALLENGING FOR BUSINESSES.
% >> WELL, IN FACT, THE WEDC,
% CREATED A KIND OF COMPREHENSIVE
% REOPEN GUIDELINES.
% THIS IS KIND OF A COVER SHEET
% OF YOUR BEST PRACTICES
% FOR BUSINESSES.
% WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM
% THEM ABOUT WHETHER
% THEY'RE USING YOUR GUIDES
% AND TAKING THEM SERIOUSLY?
% >> WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD
% A REALLY FANTASTIC RESPONSE
% TO THE GUIDELINES.
% WE STARTED CREATING THOSE
% WITH THE GOVERNOR'S BADGER
% BOUNCE BACK PLAN,
% IN ORDER TO HELP
% BUSINESSES BE READY
% WHEN THE TIME CAME TO OPEN.
% I COULD ONLY IMAGINE HOW HARD IT
% IS AS A SMALL BUSINESS
% TO BE STANDING INSIDE YOUR
% BABY THAT YOU'VE CREATED
% AND THINKING ABOUT 'HOW
% DO I CHANGE MY TABLES?'
% IF I'M A RESTAURANT
% OR I'M A RETAIL SHOP,
% AND I'VE ARRANGED IT
% ALL BEAUTIFULLY,
% AND I NEED TO BE
% THINKING ABOUT,
% 'CAN I DO SOCIAL DISTANCE
% AND HOW WILL THAT ALL WORK?'
% AND SO, THE GUIDELINES WERE
% MEANT TO REALLY HELP BUSINESSES
% BE READY WHEN THAT TIME CAME
% TO OPEN.
% BUSINESSES HAD TO ASK THEMSELVES
% HARD QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO
% OPERATE.
% THE GUIDELINES WERE MEANT TO
% HELP, KIND OF,
% WALK THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
% BECAUSE OF THE SUPREME COURT'S
% RULING WITH SAFER AT HOME.
% WE NEEDED TO, YOU KNOW,
% SPEED THAT PROCESS UP
% AND I'M GLAD THE GUIDELINES
% WERE THERE TO HELP BUSINESSES.
% >> YOU HAVE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES
% ACROSS INDUSTRIES,
% BUT YOU ALSO HAVE KIND OF
% A SET OF GENERAL GUIDELINES.
% WHAT ARE THOSE?
% >> THE GENERAL GUIDELINES ARE
% REALLY KIND OF YOUR FIRST FORAY
% INTO HOW TO ADDRESS
% YOUR BUSINESS.
% SO, THINKING
% ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING,
% CLEANING AND DISINFECTING
% ON A REGULAR BASIS.
% WHAT ARE THOSE HIGH-TOUCH AREAS
% THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF?
% SHOULD MY EMPLOYEES
% BE WEARING MASKS?
% WHAT-- YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU
% WORK THROUGH ALL OF THAT?
% AND THEN, QUESTIONS LIKE,
% 'WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE OF MY
% EMPLOYEES GET SICK?
% WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT THAT?'
% AND SO, THE GENERAL GUIDELINES
% ARE REALLY MEANT TO HELP YOU
% KIND OF APPROACH
% THAT INITIAL SET OF QUESTIONS
% AND THEN FOR SPECIFIC BUSINESSES
% LIKE HAIRSTYLIST, OR
% RESTAURANTS, CONSTRUCTION,
% WE HAVE OTHER IDEAS AND THOUGHTS
% THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA CONSIDER.
% >> SO, YOU JUST MENTIONED
% THAT EMPLOYEE--
% EMPLOYERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO
% TELL EMPLOYEES WHO ARE SICK
% TO STAY HOME, BUT ARE EMPLOYERS
% REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SICK LEAVE?
% >> YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS
% THAT STARTED
% JUST AS WE ENTERED
% INTO THIS PROCESS
% WAS PAID LEAVE FOR EMPLOYEES,
% AND SO A LOT OF EMPLOYERS HAVE
% TAKEN THAT UP
% BECAUSE THEY WANNA MAKE SURE
% THEY HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE.
% SO, THEY WANNA ENCOURAGE
% THEIR EMPLOYEES TO, YOU KNOW,
% SAY, "HEY, I'M NOT FEELING
% WELL," SO THAT THEIR EMPLOYEES
% STAY HOME.
% >> AND EMPLOYERS ARE ALSO
% ENCOURAGED UNDER THE GUIDELINES
% TO PROVIDE A PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
% EQUIPMENT TO THEIR WORKERS.
% BUT ARE THERE ENOUGH STOCKS OF
% THOSE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW
% FOR EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE THAT?
% >> YEAH, ONE OF THE THINGS
% THAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM
% EMPLOYERS IS CHALLENGES IN
% FINDING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT,
% WHETHER IT'S MASKS OR GLOVES
% OR PLEXIGLAS.
% SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
% WE'VE DONE AT WEDC IS STAND UP
% OUR WISCONSIN SUPPLIER NETWORK
% TO BE A LOCATION
% WHERE YOU CAN RESOURCE PPE.
% SO, WE'VE HAD THE WISCONSIN
% SUPPLIER NETWORK
% FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS
% TO CONNECT BUSINESSES TO
% BUSINESSES,
% ALONG THE SUPPLY CHAIN
% AND WE'VE ADDED A FEATURE WHERE
% IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR PPE,
% YOU CAN GO TO THE WISCONSIN
% SUPPLIER NETWORK, WHICH IS
% WISCONSINSUPPLIERNETWORK DOT COM
% AND FIND SOURCES OF PPE.
% OR, IF YOU'RE A PROVIDER OF PPE,
% YOU CAN LIST YOURSELF ON THERE
% TO HELP BUSINESSES FIND YOU.
% >> WHAT IN YOUR MIND IS THE BEST
% WAY FOR RETAILERS
% OR RESTAURANTS OR BARS TO
% ENGENDER CONSUMER CONFIDENCE,
% WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY KEY
% TO GETTING PEOPLE
% BACK INTO BUSINESSES.
% YOU KNOW, I THINK REALLY
% IMPORTANT IS TO BE COMMUNICATING
% WITH YOUR CONSUMERS
% AND YOUR CUSTOMERS
% THAT YOU'VE TAKEN INTO
% CONSIDERATION THEIR SAFETY.
% SO, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH SIGNAGE
% OR MAKING SURE THAT YOUR
% EMPLOYEES ARE TRAINED UP
% AND ARE COMMUNICATING THE STEPS
% THAT THEY'RE TAKING,
% AND JUST BEING REALLY
% ACCOUNTABLE AND TRANSPARENT
% ABOUT IT IS THE BEST WAY.
% I CAME-- BEFORE I CAME TO WEDC,
% ORGANIC VALLEY IS AN INCREDIBLY
% CONSUMER-FOCUSED BUSINESS,
% AND THAT'S ONE THING
% THAT HASN'T CHANGED
% THROUGH ALL OF COVID:
% "THE CUSTOMERS IS RIGHT."
% AND SO, THINKING ABOUT YOUR
% BUSINESS
% FROM THE CUSTOMER'S PERSPECTIVE.
% AS THEY WALK IN
% THROUGH YOUR DOORS,
% WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO
% EXPERIENCE?
% AND WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO
% KNOW THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT?
% >> SECRETARY DESIGNEE AND CEO
% OF WEDC, MISSY HUGHES,
% THANKS VERY MUCH.
% >> THANK YOU.