Media advisory: Grant for quarantined employees to close June 30

SALT LAKE CITY (June 28, 2021) – Since October 1, 2020, the Utah Labor Commission has administered the Small Business Quarantined Employee Grant to help Utah’s small businesses and their employees weather the financial hardship of quarantine due to COVID-19. The Small Business Quarantined Employee Grant program will close June 30.

Quarantine and isolation were vital to controlling the spread of COVID-19, especially before safe and effective vaccines were widely available.

Over the past few months, the rate of new applications has decreased significantly, with only a handful of new applications made in the past week. At the height of the pandemic, the Utah Labor Commission received hundreds of applications per week.

The state made $5 million available to small businesses over the course of the grant program. We’re pleased to report that Utah provided more than $4.2 million to 858 businesses of 50 or fewer employees.

Grant program statistics since Oct. 1:

Applications submitted: 3,039
Applications approved: 2,744
Applicant businesses: 858
Average applications (employees) per business: 3.54
Average grant amount: $1,534.78
Grant amount remaining: $788,541.05

Frequently asked questions

How did the state fund this grant?
The first $2.5 million was funded through the CARES Act, and the second $2.5 million was from the General Fund.

What happens to the unspent portion of the grant?
The unspent portion is from the General Fund and will be returned to the General Fund for other state needs or pandemic response.

Why not just keep the grant going?
The number of requests has dwindled significantly. But the state of Utah remains flexible and could reinstate the grant program if the need arises. We encourage all eligible Utahns to get vaccinated as the best protection against COVID-19. The vast majority of people who are getting sick and being hospitalized from COVID-19 have not been vaccinated. We encourage businesses and community organizations to schedule a mobile vaccination clinic at a location of their choosing at coronavirus.utah.gov.

What were the eligibility requirements for small businesses?

• Less than 50 employees in Utah.
• One or more of your employees receiving notice that the employee must quarantine or
  isolate due to a positive COVID-19 test or exposure to someone who has tested positive.
• Continued to pay out regular wages to an employee(s) while the employee was in
  quarantine/isolation.

Small business owners with less than 50 employees can go to https://coronavirus.utah.gov/business/business-loans-and-grants/, https://laborcommission.utah.gov, or https://business.utah.gov/, for more information and to fill out a grant application until June 30, 2021.