The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (Ill., Ind., Wis.) has held that a contractor was required to make contributions to Taft-Hartley pension and health-and-welfare plans for all hours worked by a bargaining-unit employee, including non-bargaining unit work.

As the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) continues its focus on auditing apprenticeship and training funds expenses, AGC has learned that in addition to graduation ceremonies and marketing, EBSA is also finding excessive expenses associated with apprenticeship competitions and instructor retirement dinners.

On Aug. 1, 2012, the Center for Corporate Equality (CCE), a national nonprofit research organization, released the results of an AGC co-sponsored study of data related to the enforcement of Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.  The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) enforces both of those laws and has recently proposed significant changes to their implementing regulations.  CCE's report concludes that “discrimination against protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, especially with regard to hiring, is not a frequent finding by OFCCP and may not support the major shift in policy that the proposed regulations would necessitate.”

A final rule to implement a Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act requirement affecting federal contractors will go into effect on Aug. 27, 2012. Under the new rule promulgated by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council, federal contractors will be required to report the names and total compensation of the five most highly compensated officers under certain circumstances, as well as awards to first-tier subcontractors above $25,000.

AGC’s co-located HR Professionals Conference and Training, Education & Development (TED) Conference offers a fantastic value for construction industry training and HR professionals who are seeking the latest information on compliance, maximizing training efforts while reducing costs, and getting tips from industry peers. And, until Sept. 1, registrants save with our special early-bird rates.

On May 23, 2012, AGC joined 10 other national business associations in a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Labor urging her to reconsider a series of new affirmative action mandates the Department of Labor proposes to impose on contractors working on federal projects.

The Medical Loss Ratio Provision of the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s 2010 health care reform law, is now in effect.  As a result, many companies are starting to receive rebate checks from insurance companies, leaving HR professionals to determine the best way to distribute the funds to eligible employees.  The rule went into effect Jan. 1, 2011.

Registration is now open for AGC’s 2012 HR Professionals Conference and Training, Education & Development (TED) Conference where attendees can earn up to 25.25 recertification credits toward PHR or SPHR recertification from the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).

Prime contractors and higher tier subcontractors are often financially responsible for what subcontractors are or aren’t doing when it comes to regulatory compliance.  On July 19, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. ET, AGC will hold a webinar entitled “Getting Subcontractors On Board: Why and How to Train Your Subcontractors to Meet Flowdown Requirements” to help contractors meet those responsibilities.  The webinar is the second in a series of compliance webinars designed to help government contractors meet compliance requirements.

On June 29, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s healthcare reform law that went into effect in 2010.  As a result, the law will remain in effect unless future legislation revokes any of the law’s provisions.  Among other things the law requires employers with 50 or more workers to offer a qualified health insurance plan to employees by 2014 or possibly face a penalty.  AGC did not support the law because of its inability to decrease the overall costs of healthcare.