Letter from CEO Marc Buehler

March 31, 2020

Dear Craftworks team,

First off, please know that I hope each of you and your families are safe and doing as well as possible given the circumstances. My thoughts are with each of you every moment of every day as we continue to navigate these challenging times.

Our small team continues to make progress consolidating the Company and preparing for a day, hopefully soon, when we can return to the business of serving our communities across all our great brands.

Due to the current state of affairs in the bankruptcy process, the Company’s existing benefit plans will be terminated effective March 31, 2020. Regrettably, because the plans are being terminated, there will be no COBRA continuation coverage available under the group health plans. All claims incurred on or before March 31, 2020 will be handled in accordance with the plan’s usual terms, but there will be no coverage for health care services or items you receive after that date.

To assist everyone with this transition, please find attached a list of options for you to consider as you seek alternative health plan coverage for yourself and your family. Your separation is generally considered a qualifying event that should provide you a special enrollment right (typically 30 days from the loss of coverage) to enroll in other coverage. You may want to explore coverage options available through the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace at www.healthcare.gov, options through a spouse/partner’s employer plan, a parent’s employer plan (if you are under age 26), Medicare, etc.

In addition, effective March 31, 2020, the status of all team members will be revised from furloughed to terminated. You will receive additional communication from our third-party administrator regarding your benefit selections and how you can handle this transition (HSA, 401k, Life, Disability, etc.).

Finally, please know that we continue to work diligently towards a reopening date and are looking forward to the day when we hope to bring many of you back with a new suite of benefits.

Thank you for your understanding and please be well. See you in a restaurant soon!

Warmest regards,
Marc

Frequently Asked Questions


When is my separation effective date?

March 31, 2020

When is my separation effective date?

Layoff

Will I be eligible for rehire?

Yes, you will be eligible for rehire.

Will my restaurant be reopened?

Our small team continues to make progress to prepare for a day, hopefully soon, when we can return to the business of severing our communities across all our great brands. We do not know which restaurants will reopen at this time but are working to reopen as many as possible.

How can I get health coverage?

Your separation is generally considered a qualifying event that should provide you a special enrollment right (typically 30 days from the loss of coverage, depending on the plan) to enroll on a spouse/partner’s employer plan if one is available to you, or if you are under age 26, to enroll in a parent’s employer plan. If you are age 65 or older, you should have a 63-day special right to enroll in Medicare, but you should contact 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or see www.medicare.gov for more information. You may also want to explore coverage options available through the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace at 1-800-318-2596 or www.healthcare.gov. You and your family might even qualify for government subsidized coverage on the ACA Marketplace or through Medicaid or a state Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Your loss of employer coverage should also provide you a special enrollment right to enroll in those plans due to this qualifying event.

What will happen to any medical, pharmacy, dental and/or vision claims which incurred through March 31, 2020?

Claims for medical, pharmacy, dental and/or vision coverage incurred through March 31, 2020 will be processed according to the plan and policy documents.

What will happen to my life insurance coverage?

You may elect to convert or port your current Life insurance coverage to an individual policy with our carrier. You should contact Cigna at 800-423-1282 for addtional details.

What will happen to my disability coverage?

Disability coverage does not allow for any plan continuation; however, if you are currently on disability with a claim on or before midnight on March 31, 2020 it will be reviewed and benefits may be paid through March 31,2020; all benefits will cease as of April 1, 2020.

What happens to my funds in my Health Saving Account (HSA)?

Your Health Savings Account continues since that is an individual account in your name; however, as of April 1, 2020; you will be responsible for the monthly administration fee of $2.50 which will be automatically deducted from your account. You do not need to take any action to keep this account with Discovery Benefits, although if you like, you may roll it over to a different HSA provider. To determine how to do a plan rollover or submit claims against your account, please contact Discovery Benefits at www.discoverybenefits.com.

What will happen to my 401(k) account?

If you are age 62 or over, or if your 401(k) has an account balance of $5,000.00 or more, you are allowed to leave it with Empower, indefinitely, unless you elect to redirect your funds to one of the two scenarios below. If you are under age 62 and your 401(k) account balance is less than $5,000.00, you will have 60 days to elect one of the following: (1) Rollover into an IRA or (2) Early distribution, which may have tax consequences. If you do not make an election within 60 days of your employment termination date and your account balance is between $1,000 and $5,000, Empower will automatically rollover the account into an IRA Plan. If your account balance is less than $1,000, your account will be distributed to you, which will trigger a 10% penalty & other tax consequences, unless you make a different election (i.e. to rollover your balance to an IRA) within 60 days of your termination date. To access your 401(k) plan, visit www.empower-retirement.com/participant.

How can I get salary and employment verification?

CraftWorks has made available services for employment and salary verification through Corporate Cost Control; please contact them at www.cccverify.com or verifications@CorporateCostControl.com.

How can I receive future communication from the company?

Please be sure to keep your address and email address updated through craftworksholdings.freshservice.com

Who can I contact if I have questions?

Please know that you may contact the following departments with questions or concerns:
Human.Resources@craftworksholdings.com
craftworks@piperjordan.com
craftworksholdings.freshservice.com

Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment benefits vary from state to state. When filing we recommend that you indicate the separation was attributable to COVID-19.

Select your state from the dropdown below to be taken to the proper location to file for unemployment.