NY HERO Act - Model Plan Published

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Dealers Must Adopt Plan by August 5, 2021

 
Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (HERO Act) into law.

The new law requires dealers to have an airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plan in-place and ready to activate when the Department of Health Commissioner declares that an airborne infectious disease presents a serious risk to public health.   This plan is very similar to the Safety Plan dealers created to open during the current pandemic.

The DOL released a model plan in early July, as well as several industry specific templates. It is recommended that dealers use the “Retail” industry template to create their dealership Plan.  Dealers can adopt their own alternative plan – as long as it meets or exceeds the standard set forth in DOL’s model plan.

Dealers must create and adopt their Plan by August 5th.  The Plan does not become activated until a designation is made by the DOH Commissioner that a serious risk of harm to public health exists. 

What Dealers Need to do:

  1. Review and complete Model Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Plan for your dealership; available here.

  2. Complete the required information in each section of the Plan and print it.

  3. Keep the completed Plan on-file at your dealership at all times.

  4. Verbally inform all employees of the existence and location of the Plan, the circumstances when it can be activated, the infectious disease standard, employer policies, and employee rights under the HERO Act.

  5. Provide a written copy of the Plan to employees by September 4, 2021

  6. If you have a dealership employee handbook, you must add the Plan to your handbook.

  7. Only managers/supervisors can enforce this Plan; be sure to designate the appropriate personnel as contacts.

  8. Review the Plan periodically and update the required information as needed.

  9. Continue to regularly check the Departments of Health and Labor websites to find out if it is necessary to activate your Plan.

Should you have any questions, call the GNYADA’s Dealer Hotline at 718-746-5900.