Here is something that some people may have to be leery of regarding the stimulus checks and their employers. Apparently some companies like one in Austin Texas, are trying to take the stimulus payments (including the full amount per individual) as well as half of the dependent payment from their employees. A company in Austin is trying to do this and has sent out a form asking their employees to sign it giving them permission to take this amount from their paychecks.

They sent out a form that they titled the “Employee Acknowledgement of ‘Government Assistance’ Pay Reduction" form, where they are asking employees to sign it and have their paychecks between the weeks of April 6-20th be reduced by 100% of their stimulus amount, plus 50% per dependent amount. An employee who spoke under anonymity stated that this company is a national company that makes hundreds of millions of dollars. He also mentioned they laid off a quarter of their workforce recently. He stated he believed they did the layoffs to try and reduce their payroll. And now they are trying to do this stuff with the stimulus check. Another employee from a company in Texas mentioned their company was doing something similar.

Hopefully, no one here has an employer that is trying to pull something like this. (And it sounds like this may be illegal). But it is something to be mindful of, while people are waiting on their stimulus checks, and we are dealing with the hard impact the virus is putting on the economy.

Here is a link to this article:

https://wgno.com/news/health/coronavirus...hecks-tmw/

I have heard similar stories like this from people that I know.  I have mixed feelings about this.

On one hand if employees are still currently receiving their full pay then they don't necessarily need the stimulus check.  They are not losing any income.

With that being said on the other hand, this money doesn't come from the company it comes from those of us that actually pay taxes.  It's really no business for a company to dock a person's pay because they received a "gift" or otherwise.  Besides that it defeats the purpose which is to put the money into the hands of the people, not give additional aide to business.

On a similar note I know of at least one case where my [BLEEP] company placed someone under mandatory quarantine for 2 weeks (the person had been out of country).  The employee was given the option of using sick time, vacation time or leave-without-pay.  It's just my opinion but I think the company should at least pay the person since they have been told to stay home through no fault of their own, and the company is already getting paid for the employee from the government whether he/she is actually at work.

I'm fortunate enough that even though I self-quarantined I am still able to perform much of my duties from home so I still get paid.

I definitely think it's wrong. And I wonder if some of the companies doing that including the one in Texas that was laying off people already, is doing that to maybe push employees to quit. I could see them going to extremes to try and save money on payroll. And I could see this putting employees in a rough spot, especially if they are also concerned they may be laid off next. It would be rough to agree to give away your stimulus check and then be laid off shortly after. And some of the employees (maybe a lot) could still use stimulus the money even though they are still working. 

It sounds like this might be illegal and I could see some companies definitely getting in trouble over this if people find out who they are. Especially if they are like it was mentioned about the business in Austin, a national company. 

Also, on Friday one of my boss sent us some information regarding the family first Coronavirus response act and the polices that are allowed for people in that act. And we talked about it doing an office call on Friday night. There are different categories for situations regarding the virus where people could still get paid or at least some of their pay for a bit. The person at your company could qualify for one of those categories. People can get paid if they or a family member is diagnosed with the virus, they have symptoms but it's unconfirmed that they have the virus.  They can also get paid if they do a recommended fourteen day quarantine. Maybe the person that works at your company can qualify for that category. 

They can still possibly get paid at their daily rate, for a little bit, if they fall underneath that category. The act even allows for people who are having a hard time with having transportation for the virus, or being unable to find childcare, to get some of their pay. It's 2/3 of their daily rate. It's not the full amount but it's something. My bosses even said people could get some pay (at least with our company) if they can only work some of the days they are normally scheduled, but have to stay home other days due to lack of childcare. We have some employees that are in that situation. Especially with schools being closed down here until at least May 15.

One type of person it didn't really accommodate are people are who are concerned about getting the virus and just choose to self quarantine on their own. I have a young co-worker, who was hired not too long ago, who cares for her grandmother. I believe her grandmother may live with her. She's been worried the past few weeks about the virus and a couple of weeks ago, admitted she was contemplating self quarantining on her own. ( Though, she didn't have symptoms and wasn't knowingly exposed to anyone with the virus). 

Over a week ago, she said she was taking some time off, and hasn't shown up since to do work. (Though, she did bring in a doctor's note). She wasn't getting paid for doing that (and didn't get/take any sort of paid/sick/vacation leave) and she's not one of the people we have working from home. People like her could be granted unpaid leave, at least in our company. And maybe in the act as well. I'm not sure if the doctor's note that she brought in a few days ago, will help her fall into one of these categories and get some sort of pay.

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Allegedly every adult within certain parameters (income of $75,000 per year for individuals and $150,000 for married couples) is going to receive a payment of $1200 per person.  I assume that many of our users here probably fall within the parameters of the condition myself included.

My question is, what do you plan to use that money for?

For me it would pretty much pay our income tax bill that we usually pay every year ($2400.00 is around the average that I have to pay above what the government takes from our income every year).  If it was up to me I would tell the government to keep it and lower my tax bill.

I do realize that some people are probably laid off right now or told not to report to work so their income stream is shut off.  I can understand how that money would help them out.  I am fortunate enough that I'm able to work from home for the most part (I am under quarantine at the moment).  My normal income is not affected by this, but I know that there are countless others not so fortunate.

I'm just curious to see how others would use the money.

My wife is out of a job now. Our son is due any minute now in April. We plan on saving it to pay off her car and for her to finish her real estate exam once schools are back up and running. 

I work in the essential field thankfully. So we'll manage for the most part. My concern is the grand scheme of things with this bill being passed. 

How much will it really help the average household between the average cost of living? And what is this going to cost us all down the road? 

The federal reserve never lends money out without expecting it back some how, some way. Trying not to be cycnical. But I just worry we're throwing money at a problem now with little to no results pending.

Only to essentially kick the can down the road for taxpayers to stress over in due time.

It's a freaking bandaid on what is going to be a sucking chest wound when the financial impact of everything being shut down finally and totally hits us.

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Will be interesting to see what the town center looks like after this. Regency Square?

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Will be interesting to see what the town center looks like after this. Regency Square?

I went to the Avenues Mall about 2 months ago, during a weekday, and it was devoid of customers.  I would estimate there were 3 times as many store clerks as customers.  Malls are dying dead already.

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Will be interesting to see what the town center looks like after this. Regency Square?

I went to the Avenues Mall about 2 months ago, during a weekday, and it was devoid of customers.  I would estimate there were 3 times as many store clerks as customers.  Malls are dying dead already.

Sears left the avenues as well. I remember going on a field trip there in the 7th grade as it was an architectural master piece at that time with the glass ceilings.  Time does crazy things.

You would think the indoor mall would be more popular in Florida.

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Yet the Orange Park Mall thrives.

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Yet the Orange Park Mall thrives.

Crazy, huh? The "impulse buy" of walking a mall is something you will never get in the town center. You drive where you are going, park, go in, leave. Not a real experience of walking the mall or stuffing your face with that amazing teriyaki "chicken" at Sakru.

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My wife is out of a job now. Our son is due any minute now in April. We plan on saving it to pay off her car and for her to finish her real estate exam once schools are back up and running. 

I work in the essential field thankfully. So we'll manage for the most part. My concern is the grand scheme of things with this bill being passed. 

How much will it really help the average household between the average cost of living? And what is this going to cost us all down the road? 

The federal reserve never lends money out without expecting it back some how, some way. Trying not to be cycnical. But I just worry we're throwing money at a problem now with little to no results pending.

Only to essentially kick the can down the road for taxpayers to stress over in due time.

It's a freaking bandaid on what is going to be a sucking chest wound when the financial impact of everything being shut down finally and totally hits us.

No worries, another 3 trillion is on the drawing board right now for next month.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

It's a freaking bandaid on what is going to be a sucking chest wound when the financial impact of everything being shut down finally and totally hits us.

No worries, another 3 trillion is on the drawing board right now for next month.

It sounds like there are so many stipulations on this money that some small businesses are going to go under regardless of relief. I mean, it's already happening and we have at least another month of this.

I think the entirety of the first "relief" package should have funneled the "stimulus" through employers to employees.

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Yet the Orange Park Mall thrives.

Crazy, huh? The "impulse buy" of walking a mall is something you will never get in the town center. You drive where you are going, park, go in, leave. Not a real experience of walking the mall or stuffing your face with that amazing teriyaki "chicken" at Sakru.

Sakru always has a line. 

How OPM stayed relevant and successful is they saw the thugerization of Regency and ensured it never happened with them. They've invested heavily in security. Any incidents of trouble making are discouraged or quickly squelched. On really busy days they even employ mobile watchtowers in the parking lot. 

The Sears vacancy should be quickly filled. I'm not a fan of theirs, but an IKEA would go nicely in that spot.

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Crazy, huh? The "impulse buy" of walking a mall is something you will never get in the town center. You drive where you are going, park, go in, leave. Not a real experience of walking the mall or stuffing your face with that amazing teriyaki "chicken" at Sakru.

Sakru always has a line. 

How OPM stayed relevant and successful is they saw the thugerization of Regency and ensured it never happened with them. They've invested heavily in security. Any incidents of trouble making are discouraged or quickly squelched. On really busy days they even employ mobile watchtowers in the parking lot. 

The Sears vacancy should be quickly filled. I'm not a fan of theirs, but an IKEA would go nicely in that spot.

Logically, IKEA would be a good fit, but realistically, it will be a church.

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Sakru always has a line. 

How OPM stayed relevant and successful is they saw the thugerization of Regency and ensured it never happened with them. They've invested heavily in security. Any incidents of trouble making are discouraged or quickly squelched. On really busy days they even employ mobile watchtowers in the parking lot. 

The Sears vacancy should be quickly filled. I'm not a fan of theirs, but an IKEA would go nicely in that spot.

Logically, IKEA would be a good fit, but realistically, it will be a church.

The death knell of any mall.

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Logically, IKEA would be a good fit, but realistically, it will be a church.

The death knell of any mall.

Yep, because replacing a tax paying entity with a non-tax paying entity is always great for the surrounding area.

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Yet the Orange Park Mall thrives.

That's cause rednecks are dumb. And OP is all dumb rednecks.

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Yet the Orange Park Mall thrives.

That's cause rednecks are dumb. And OP is all dumb rednecks.

Oh, ok.

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Guys. It’s Sarku.

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Guys. It’s Sarku.

Ok, STUD. (snicker)

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Yet the Orange Park Mall thrives.

I wouldn't exactly say that.  It's been a long time since I've seen the parking lot full.  The place almost looks abandoned.

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world.  Those who understand binary and those who don't.

Yet the Orange Park Mall thrives.

I wouldn't exactly say that.  It's been a long time since I've seen the parking lot full.  The place almost looks abandoned.

Some stores yes, but those are failing stores to begin with. Mainly the larger department stores that are failing. The smaller shops have people and the food court is usually full when I have to go into a physical store.

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I wouldn't exactly say that.  It's been a long time since I've seen the parking lot full.  The place almost looks abandoned.

Some stores yes, but those are failing stores to begin with. Mainly the larger department stores that are failing. The smaller shops have people and the food court is usually full when I have to go into a physical store.

To be honest, I can't remember the last time I went into the mall.  About the only store there that I would want to go to would be Books-a-Million.  I refuse to patronize Dick's Sporting Goods and to me Sears was gone 5 years ago when they were bought/merged with K-Mart.

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world.  Those who understand binary and those who don't.